I Might Be Perfect
by futurestar26
Summary: Title is stupid, but will work in later chapters. This is just on-going about Henry and Natalie. Enjoy! Rated T just in case, future stuff.
1. Chapter 1

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Hey everyone! Ok so this is just gonna be Henry and Nat, like, just going through stuff! Expect more chapters and everything. I just love them so much!

**DISCLAIMER: I so dont own N2N! If I was, well...I wouldn't be doing this LOL**

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Natalie sat at the kitchen table, doing homework. Her dad, Dan, was cooking the taco meat on the stove. Things around the house were pretty. It wasn't so weird with just the two of them anymore. And she had Henry. He was always coming over, always calling her up. Things were going really good with them.

And the doorbell rang. Natalie jumped up to get it. It was Henry.

"Hey," she said, throwing her arms around him and giving him a quick kiss. "I didn't know you were coming tonight."

"Neither did I. My parents are fighting...you know..." His voice faltered a bit. She squeezed his hands. Henry's parents were not getting along. They never really had, but things were getting worse now. Natalie felt bad.

"It's cool. You know you're always welcome here."

"Is that Henry?" Dan called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, he's staying for dinner!" Natalie called back, pulling Henry into the kitchen with her.

"Hello, Henry," Mr. Goodman said, giving him a wave as he continued to cook.

"Oh, I forgot it's Taco Tuesday," Henry said, laughing. Then he sat with Natalie at the table. He didn't bring any books with him or anything. But that was fine. He just sat there and watched her work, not saying a thing. And he was perfectly content with that.

Soon dinner was ready and the three of them ate together like they did many times a week. Though it was a little awkward for Dan to always have his daughter's boyfriend there in the house with them all the time, he knew that Henry made Natalie happy. And Henry was pretty much a good kid.

"We'll be upstairs," Natalie announced when they both had finished eating.

"Be good," Dan warned.

And the two of them hurried up the stairs. Henry popped a mint on his way up. Just in case.

He and Natalie crashed onto her bed, Natalie pulling her laptop over and clicking on their playlist, the Henry/Natalie playlist. Their favorite songs started shuffling and they sang along. But Natalie could tell that Henry just wasn't into that tonight. Something was really bugging him, maybe more than just his parents. She shut off the music.

"What's up?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Why'd you stop the music?"

"Because you're acting weird. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Henry, I know you. Something's up."

"Natalie, I said nothing's wrong," he snapped. "Leave me alone."

Henry never snapped at her, never even tried to raise his voice. Natalie looked at him, hurt and confused. "I'm just trying to help you." He turned away. She reached for his hand, eyes watering a bit. "I love you," she whispered.

Henry sighed, leaning close to her. "I know," he said. "I'm sorry. It's just my parents..."

"Yeah, but they always fight. You never act like this over that."

"But this is more serious. I think...I don't know. Maybe it's over between them."

"My parents are seperated," Natalie said, trying to make him feel a little better. "It's not so bad."

"Yeah, but my parents are different," he protested. "My parents werer the perfect couple, they were always in love. They didn't have all those problems." Natalie's face fell just a little, but she quickly recovered. Henry had seen though. "I didn't mean that."

"It's cool," she said, lowering her eyes.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Look, I know my parents aren't perfect, but they were in love too. And yet, sometimes people just fall out of love. Or things don't go as planned. But people move on. Even if it doesn't get better, it'll eventualy get easier."

"That was supportive," Henry said sarcastically. "I never flat-out told you that your parents were getting a divorce."

"My parents are not divorced," Natalie corrected. "And I didn't mean it that way. I was trying to be realistic."

"Thanks, Nat," Henry said, getting up and starting to walk out.

"Wait, Henry, I'm sorry!" But he had already left.

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** A little more dramatic then intended. New chapters soon. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok second chapter! I have no idea where this is going but whateves! Thanks for the feedback, keep those reviews coming please!**

**DISCLAIMER: Once again, I don't own Next to Normal...ya...**

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Henry didn't call that night. Natalie hated it when he gave her the cold shoudler. Actually, he never gave her the cold shoulder before. Natalie had no idea what would happen at school.

Her dad was making her breakfast downstairs the next morning. Ever since her mom left, he did a lot of cooking. Who knew he was into that much?

"Hey, honey," he said, handing her a plate of eggs. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she said.

"Henry stormed out last night. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Dad," she said, turning on the attitude. "How do you know he was storming out? He might have been in a hurry. You don't know."

"Well, what happened?"

"He stormed out," Natalie admitted.

"I'm sure it'll be okay," Dan said, rubbing her shoulder.

* * *

At school, Natalie only saw Henry at lunch. She hurried to grab her tray and meet him at their table.

"Hey," she said.

"Oh, hey," he answered. He looked really tired in his jeans and plaid shirt.

"You okay?"

"Yep."

"Well, are we okay?" she asked slowly, sitting down.

"Yeah," he said, softening. "I'm sorry about walking out. I just took a drive around the block for a while. I wanted to come back and apologize, but your front door was locked."

"You were going to just walk right in?" Natalie smiled. "I think you're back to normal."

"Yeah, hopefully." He leaned in and kissed her so passionately that Natalie had chills up her spine. But of course they had to stop way too soon since they were in the lunchroom and did not want to get written up again for PDA.

Lunch was perfect, lunch was normal. They talked about bands and about Natalie's mom and about a stupid Physics project. Then a perky blonde stopped at their table. It was the senior class hottie and cheerleader, Ashley Smith. Her makeup was too flawless, her eyes too blue. Natalie couldn't help but immediately feel threatened.

"Hey, Henry," Ashley said. "My offer still stands. Call me tonight. Please?" she added, leaning in a little too close.

"Um, yeah," Henry answered, looking down at his jeans.

"'Kay. Toodles!" And then she flounced away.

"What was that?" Natalie asked, totally shocked.

"Nothing," Henry said, taking a bite of his hot dog.

"Nothing? What was she talking about, my offer still stands. Henry, what the hell is going on?"

"We have the same study hall, okay? She apparently heard about my parents being all mad and everything and said that her parents are about to get a divorce themselves. She was just offering to talk to me about it. I never said yes."

"You kind of did," Natalie corrected. "Remember two seconds ago? When you said um yeah?"

"Since when are you the jealous type?" Henry asked, getting upset too. "What do you care if I want to give her a call? It's not like I'm going to go out with her!"

"That's not why I'm mad. I'm mad that you'd rather talk to Ashley Smith about your problems than with your girlfriend."

"Fine, I won't call her," he said, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Natalie asked.

"The practice room."

"Oh no you don't." Natalie hopped up too and followed him out of the cafeteria. "The practice room is where I go to escape my problems, not you."

Henry stopped in his tracks. "Oh, so now I can't use the practice room without your permission?" he asked. "What's your problem today, Nat?"

"I don't have a problem, you have a problem!" Henry continued into the practice room and Natalie followed. He sat down at the piano and started plunking out some messed up, made-up jazz tune.

"Why won't you just tell me why you're so upset?" Natalie asked after he had played out his anger a bit.

"Because I don't want to talk," he said.

Natalie was starting to get really pissed. "Okay, either open up to me now or you shut me out for good."

"For good?" Henry laughed. "Are you threatening to break up with me."

"Yes," she said, standing up straighter. "I am."

"You wouldn't," he said.

"Yeah, I would."

"Please. We break up every two weeks, you know that. What makes this time any different?" He continued playing.

"Because this time I'm serious."

They stared at each other for a long, intense time. Henry certainly didn't want to loose Natalie, that is, if she wasn't bluffing. Natalie didn't want to end it with Henry either, but it was getting a little ridiculous that he wouldn't just talk. How would that affect their future relationship? And why was he so willing to chat with the cheerleader?

"Look, Nat," Henry said finally. "I'll talk to you when I'm ready. But I just can't right now. It's too much, okay?"

"Whatever," Natalie said, fed up. She quickly left the practice room. Henry jumped up after her and followed her to her locker. She was shoving books into her backpack.

"What, you cutting school now?" he asked.

She ignored the question. "Just call me when your ready to be Henry again." And then she ran into the parking lot. Henry stood in that exact spot until the bell rang and the rush of kids forced him to move. He had totally screwed up.


	3. Chapter 3

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Alright, Chapter 3! I'm still trying to figure out how this will end or what's going on...I keep thinking that I'll end up like covering the 2 of them until they're old and grey! lol

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DISCLAIMER: i dont own N2N...I think we all know that by now.

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Henry didn't call. Not for four days. He avoided Natalie at school, mostly because he was afraid she'd be really mean to him. He missed her so much. So that Sunday night he called her cell.

Natalie was finishing up a Literature essay when her phone rang. The customized ringtone Henry recorded started playing: "_It's the love of your life. Pick up, girl. I love you. Answer your phone. Jeez, what's taking you so long? Answer. Oh hey Mr. Goodman...Nothing, just recording Natalie's ringtone. Nat, pick up!" _She couldn't help laughing when she thought of how her Dad walked in on it. She missed Henry too. So she had to pick up.

"Hello?" she said slowly.

"Nat, it's me-"

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. "No, I'm sorry," Henry said. "I didn't mean for it to end this way. I'm ready to talk. Let's talk right now."

"Well, I'm sorry for being pushy," Natalie said, closing her laptop and sitting on her bed. "You shouldn't be forced into talking about something so painful."

"But it's okay. I want to talk. I know how much it means to you. I'm ready."

Natalie sat there, waiting for him to say something. There was no sound for a while, just some breathing. Then suddenly her bedroom door opened. Henry stood there; then he came rushing towards her, lifting her off her bed and into his arms, and kissing her harder than he ever had. Natalie was really quite enjoying it. He gently layed her on the bed, him on top of her. Then Natalie pushed away.

"I thought you wanted to talk," she said breathlessly.

"Oh, right." He laughed a bit, getting off of her. They sat side by side on the bed. Henry took a deep breath. "My parents told me today they are definitely thinking about divorcing. Things aren't working. I personally don't get it. I'm kind of angry at them, but then I'm also sad and worried about them. Mostly about my mom. She's never been alone, she could never be alone." Natalie shivered at the spooky familiar ring to those words. He leaned on her and sighed. "I guess you're all I have left."

"Your parents still love you," she said. "A divorce won't change that."

"But they won't love each other, which changes everything."

"Oh, Henry." She kissed him softly, sweetly. They sat there silent for a few minutes. Then Henry stood up.

"Tomorrow at school, things will be different," he said. "I'm going to forget about my stupid crazy parents and focus on you and me. We should go off campus for lunch, we should make out under the bleachers, do something cool."

Natalie giggled. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah." He turned to go, then turned slowly. "Do you love me?"

She smiled. "Yes," she said. "You know that."

"Just checking," he grinned.

* * *

At school, things _were_ different. Henry was waiting for Natalie at her locker with a red rose. In all of their classes, they did something they'd never done before: texted! Natalie was so afraid of getting caught, but it was worth it. She was so happy that Henry was back to normal.

Then there was lunch. They were laughing about the memory of their first "date" when a familiar blonde came over.

"Thanks for the call last night, Henry," Ashley said. "I'm glad you wanted to talk. It made things easier for me too. We should do it again sometime." And then she walked to the popular table. Natalie looked to Henry, furious.

"You called her last night? Before or after you called me?" she asked.

"Natalie, it's not what you think," Henry said. "I was just-"

"Before or after?"

"Before."

"Okay, so let me get this straight. I waited four freaking days for you. And then you call Ashley before me. And you act like you had some huge revelation."

"But Nat, I did have a revelation," he protested. "And that was all thanks to Ashley. I wanted you back so much, but I still wasn't ready to talk. Since Ash was going through it too, I thought I could call her, let it out a bit, and then talk to you. Don't think for one minute that I lied to you last night or something."

"Wait..." Natalie said. "Ash? Since when do you call her Ash?"

"It's her nickname."

Natalie could feel herself falling apart a little bit on the inside. "Look, I have no idea what you're up to. You've never lied to me, you never keep things so shut up. I want my old Henry back: that goofy, crazy, sappy, honest, faithful Henry. And I'm not going to wait much longer for him."

"But I did open up. And I most certainly am still those things, especially faithful-you know that. I don't know what else I can do."

"Well then, you have a lot of thinking to do."

And for the second time in her life, she cut the rest of the school day.


	4. Chapter 4

**It's taken me a while to figure what would happen next, so sorry for the delay! I love Henry and Natalie sooo much :)**

**No, I don't own Next to Normal. *sigh* *another sigh* *an even bigger sigh***

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Natalie hated crying, but sometimes she just couldn't help it. And now, it was one of those days. She drove around in her car, blasting classical music, and crying. And the pain just didn't seem to go away. She'd never felt so alone in her life. She couldn't believe Henry; she couldn't understand what was going through his head. She wanted things to be normal.

She laughed at how ludacris her thoughts were. Normal? She was never normal, she never could be normal. But was it so bad to wish to be normal?

At around four, she decided it was safe to go home. Her dad wasn't even there, so was a little mad at herself for wasting all that gas. She did homework in her room and decided to wait for Dan to make dinner whenever he got back. She wasn't in the mood to do anything. Suddenly, she was thinking about her mom. Did she ever go through this? Natalie struggled for the courage, but decided to pick up the phone and dial.

"Hello?" her mother's "happy voice" answered.

"Hi, mom," she said. "It's me."

"Oh, hey, Nat. What's going on? Are you okay? Did I miss a piano recital or something?"

"No, no, it's just...no big deal. Nevermind."

"Wait, Nat, what's wrong?"

She took a big breath, then started to talk. "Henry's parents are, like, getting a divorce I guess," she said, "and he doesn't want to talk about it with me. I have no idea why. So we were fighting and then last night we made up and we talked a little about it. But today at school I found out that he talked to the head cheerleader about it last night too. But he talked to her before me, which I totally don't get. He's insisting it's nothing and that I should just let him have his time. I'm willing to do that, I am, but I just don't get why he can't come out and say that and show me how he feels instead of chatting with the cheerleader instead of his girlfriend." She caught her breath. "Did you catch that?"

Diana took some time to digest it all. "It sounds like Henry's having a hard time," she said finally. "Maybe you should just give him his space."

"What? What about the fact that he talked to Ashley and not me? Isn't that wrong?"

"Well, men do strange things. If it takes a little pre-talking with someone else to get him prepared to talk to you, then maybe that's how he works."

"But a pre-talk with a cheerleader? That's not Henry."

Diana laughed. "Well," she said, "maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do."

Natalie thought this over. It could be true, even if she didn't want to admit it. She said goodbye to her mother, then went up to her room feeling more depressed than she had earlier. She was still home alone. She knew there was only one thing that would make her feel at least a little bit better. She knew she shouldn't, but she went straight to the medicine cabinet. And every night that week, she popped a different pill.

* * *

By Friday, Nat felt like a different person. She had missed that feeling since she'd stopped using. Who cares how bad things were with Henry or that she was cutting class? If she felt down, she'd pop a pick-me-up. No big thing. And she'd avoided Henry really well. A part of her thought she deserved to feel good for just being able to do that.

But finally, after last period when everyone was leaving, Henry caught up to her at her locker.

"Um, hey," he said, grabbing her arm when she tried to run away. "So, um, it took me a week to get the courage and think of something to say to you." He stared at her eyes for a bit. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Me?" Natalie said, smiling, still feeling a little dizzy from her little "snack" with lunch. "I'm great."

"You look a little...Wait. Are you using again?"

"What would make you think that?"

Henry took on a very serious tone, shutting her locker and turning her all the way towards him. "Listen, Nat," he said, "you shouldn't do drugs. Its-"

She laughed in his face. "Since when are you the Crack Cop?" she asked. "Don't talk to me about drugs."

"You know we both promised never to mess with any of that shit again. And I've kept that promise. Obviously you haven't."

"Come on, Henry. One pill won't hurt anyone."

"Yeah, but one pill more than once a day for a week will. Natalie, don't do this to yourself. Especially not over me."

Her jaw dropped. "You think this is all about you, don't you?" she asked, finally having enough energy to give him some attitude. "Newsflash, Henry, not everything's about you. I have feelings too, you know. So you're parents maybe might get a divorce. My parents are seperated, my freaking brother is dead. I have a Yale audition in like three months. I'm going through way more stuff than you right now. But you know what? I'm not afraid to tell you why I'm hurting. But you? You have to go cry on the cheerleader's shoulder."

"Would you just drop that already?" Henry shouted, getting a some stares from the few people left in school. He sighed, taking her hands. "I know you're under stress, and I know you're upset, but cut me some slack. And stop taking pills."

"You can't tell me what to do. You're not my boyfriend anymore." She turned on her heels and started to walk away. But suddenly, her legs just felt like Jello, her whole body felt numb. Her mind was going fuzzy and her vision was starting to blur. She could feel herself collapsing to the ground.

"Natalie!" she heard Henry shout, but then everything went black.

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**So what do you think? Please review! I'm excited to continue!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright here we go! I haven't been online in a couple of days, I was really anxious to keep writing! Thanks for the feedback, more reviews are appreciated!**

**DISCLAIMER...I don't own Next to Normal but I of course wish I did...**

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Natalie woke up in a stark white room. The walls were white; the ceiling was white; the curtains hanging from white rods were white; the chair in the corner was white. The only pop of color was coming from the boy in a green sweatshirt in that chair. She recognized him as Henry, her boyfriend, immediately. He seemed to be dozing off. She herself was in a white nightgown with little light blue polka dots. Judging from the tubes jammed into her arm, she guessed she was in the hospital. But she really couldn't remember how she got there.

"Henry?" she called, her voice a dry whisper.

His eyes shot open. "Natalie?" he said. Seeing she was awake, he rushed to her side, grabbing her hand and showering her faces and arms with kisses. "I was so worried. I can't believe you're alive."

"Where's my parents?" she asked, noticing that no one else was in the room. Then she remembered her parents were split up. "Where's my dad?" she corrected.

"In the cafeteria. He hasn't eaten anything all day, poor guy." He noticed Natalie's face. "Don't worry," he said. "Your mom was here too. She left a little while ago to go home, shower and change, you know?"

"What happened to me? Why am I here? How long have I been out of it?" Natalie knew she'd definitely been unconscious for all while. Why else would she have such a hard time remembering stuff?

"Well, Friday at school, you blacked out. You almost overdosed, Natalie, which means I was right when I guessed you were using again. I called 911 right away, plus your dad, who called your mom. You were in a mini-coma till now. It's Wednesday."

_Friday. Saturday. Sunday. Monday. Tuesday. And most of Wednesday. _"Six days?" she whispered, in total shock.

"Just about," Henry confirmed. "But I'm so glad you'll be okay. Your doctors said that as long as you woke up within a week, there'd be no serious damage. Everything will be fine. I'm going to grab a nurse."

He was gone for about two seconds, returning with a nurse and her father. Dan was so happy to see his daughter well again. He was close to tears actually.

As the nurse checked her vital signs and all the usual stuff, he whispered, "Natalie, thank God you woke up. Henry and I have been sitting here since Friday night, honestly! That poor kid missed all that school, for you. He really loves you, Nat, I know it. It used to creep me out, but now I understand. Life's too short, Nat, it is!" He seemed to be a little frantic. "When I heard it was drugs that got you like this, I was shocked. I was even more upset to learn that you'd used before, according to Henry. When? Why?"

"When Mom was going through stuff," she answered. She looked over to Henry, who looked at the floor awkwardly. She remembered the day he got her to try pot, all the stuff he told her. "People said the rush would help, I guess. I wasn't into the usual, smoking stuff. Pills were what worked for me. I stopped though. Then after this...recent...crap stuff with Henry, well, I just...I lost it, okay? I needed something. But I obviously took it too far."

"I'm glad you realize that, honey," the nurse chimed in. Her name-tag read _Bernadette. _She seemed to be a little bit older than her dad. "That sort of stuff is horrible, really dangerous. It does nightmares to your heart, not to mention your nerves and your brain-stuff you really need. You need to quit it forever if you want to get better. I don't know how serious you were as a user, but the main desk can suggest some rehabs."

"No, it was never like that," Henry interjected. Dan gave him a weird look, sort of one that read, _How would you know?_ "Well, I mean, it's not like that now. Maybe back when Mrs. Goodman was sick, but she doesn't need a rehab."

"I don't," Natalie agreed. "Henry's right; it never was that bad, even when Mom was."

"Just checking," Bernadette said. "The doctor will be in within half an hour. Just come and find me if you need anything." And she left.

"Dad, I'm sorry," Natalie said after she couldn't stand the weird silence they were sitting in. That just wasn't them. "This has to be hard for you..." She didn't know what else to say.

"Yes, Natalie, it was," he said, his voice getting a little aggitated. "The day when you find our your daughter was a chronic drug user is never a good one."

"I wasn't chronic," she fought back. "I used for like maybe two months, not even. After mom came home from her ECT, I kind of...stopped, kind of. But once Henry and I were all good, I swore off it."

"And how long did that last?"

"Hey, it's been, like, a year, okay?"

"Oh, okay, a year," her father said sarcastically, laughing that way too. "Does that mean that you'll be on drugs every _other _year?"

"Mr. Goodman," Henry cut in, standing up and coming over to them. "I think I should take full responsibility for Natalie's starting up again. She was upset about our fights, our break-up. That's why she took the pills."

"Break up? You mean, you two aren't together right now?" The teenagers shook their heads. Mr. Goodman laughed. "Wow, you're not even dating the guy and he still won't leave your side? Wow, just wow."

"Alright, Dad, whatever," Natalie said. "Believe what you want, but I don't have a drug problem. Not anymore. And I certainly won't be taking anything ever again. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like a second alone with Henry." She stared at her Dad until finally he backed out of the room.

Henry rocked back and forth on his heels. "So..." he said, still rocking and looking at the floor.

"Yeah, so..."

"I can go if you want."

"It's up to you," Natalie said, shrugging even though it rustled her IV tubes.

"Okay, sure, whatever. See you whenever..." He turned and slowly started leaving.

Natalie laughed, but then started to cry. Henry turned back to her. "So it's really over, huh?" she asked through her tears.

"Not if you don't want it to be," Henry said simply, sitting next to her in bed and holding her in his arms as she cried.

"I'm such a bitch! I'm just a nasty bipolar freak! One minute, I'm yelling at you, and the next, I'm begging you to stay. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Nat, you know I think you're perfect. I never want you to change. And I don't want us to either. We belong together, Nat. I love you."

"I love you," she managed, wiping at her runny nose.

"So we're back together right?" he asked, pulling back a bit.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. I want us to be."

"Then that's all there is to it." He stroked her hair, then kissed her ever so gently, making her cry again. Henry was just so good to her. She didn't deserve it. "I do have to get home before my parents kill me for missing another day of school, but I'll be here right after school tomorrow. And everyday after that until they send you home. And then, I'm never leaving your side."

"I love you, Henry," Natalie said, giving him a tight, loving hug.

"I love you more," he whispered.

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**Don't be fooled, it's not over yet! This next chapter is gonna be an intense one! Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

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Sorry it's been so long! I've been busy but I'm back!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own N2N...Henry approves this message**

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Once Natalie was out of the hospital, life was pretty good. She and Henry were fine, same with her and her dad. It wasn't until one rainy Sunday night things took a turn for the worse. Her dad was out on business for the weekend. Their neighbor was picking him up since Mr. Goodman had taken away Natalie's keys thanks to the drug episode. She was alone finishing her Lit essay when there was a knock at her window. It was Henry; he was drenched. She let him in right away.

"It's raining. What are you doing?" she asked.

He didn't answer; all he said was, "It's over."

"What?"

"My parents. They filed for divorce papers months ago without even telling me! Now it's official. They're over." And with that, he sunk onto her bed and started to cry.

Natalie had never seen him like this. She sat next to him and stroked his hair, kissing him, telling him it would be fine. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"I need to go," he said, standing up. "We need to go."

"What are you talking about? Where?"

"I can't even look at them. I will not spend another day in that house. I want to go somewhere, somewhere far, but I won't leave without you."

"Henry, we can't just leave," Natalie said, getting up and going to him. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I know this is hard, but you have to think about this carefully. Why don't you just stay here for the night?"

"Because I can't okay?" he snapped, pushing her hand away. "Natalie, I love you and I'm not leaving you behind. So can't you just shut up and come with me?"

His voice was angry, but his eyes were sad, hurting. She shrugged and said, "Sure," since she didn't know what else to do. She followed him down the stairs, then left a note for her dad.

_Henry's parents split. He's really upset. We went on a drive. Not sure when we'll be home, but we will be. I love you and sorry._

Henry's car was waiting in the driveway. Once inside, he started the engine with such force, Natalie was a little worried.

"Maybe I should drive," she suggested.

"No, I have to," he said.

"Fine." She didn't want to argue.

After driving a few miles in silence, Nat could see Henry getting a little more agitated. Finally, he exploded.

"Like, what the hell?" he shouted. "Why would they ever do that without telling me? I'm their son. Did they think I couldn't handle it? I would have been upset, but if I hadn't been lied to, I could have understood. And why did they do it anyway? They were fine. Mom said they were working it out. She lied. All they did was lie to me. I'm their son-" His voice broke off and the tears started again.

As Henry cried on, Natalie leaned over and took the wheel, allowing them to pull over and be out of the line of traffic. She pulled Henry into a very motherly hug and kissed the top of his head. "I think I should take you home now," she said.

"No," he protested. "I don't have a home anymore, not with them in it."

"A home isn't a house, Henry. It's being with the people who love you. I love you, so you're staying with me."

"But-"

"No but's. Now let me drive." They switched seats and Natalie drove back to her house. It was close to eleven; her dad would be home and pissed. The minute they got inside, Mr. Goodman ran at them.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "It's eleven o'clock on a school night."

"Um, hey, Mr. Goodman," Henry said awkwardly.

"Did you read my note?" Natalie asked.

"Yes," he said, looking to Henry. "Sorry..."

"Henry's crashing here."

"Well, I mean..."

"Thanks, Mr. Goodman," Henry said with a smile.

"Where will he sleep?"

"Anywhere's good with me. Couch is fine."

"No," Natalie cut in. "He'll be upstairs."

"Nat, the guest room is mostly storage now," Dan said. "He can't sleep in there."

"He'll be with me."

"What? Absolutely not."

"Dad, we won't do anything. Henry's really hurting right now, and I need to be with him."

"Still out of the question."

"Please, Dad," she begged. "For me?"

Mr. Goodman still had a soft spot for his daughter. "Oh, alright," he said, "but no funny business."

"Thanks, Mr. G," Henry said as he followed Natalie up the stairs. "And don't worry, we've barely hit third base."

"Henry!" Natalie shouted, turning around and smacking him. "Goodnight, Dad."

"Uh, goodnight," he called back, still oddly confused and uncomfortable.

Up in Natalie's room, the two got ready for bed. Henry stripped down to his boxers quickly and hopped under the covers. Natalie got her pajamas out of the drawer and headed for the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked.

"Going to change," she answered simply.

"Nat, it's just me."

"Still...it's weird."

"It shouldn't be."

"Fine," she groaned. She quickly pulled off her jeans and pulled up her gym shorts. Then she yanked off her sweater and replace it with a tee, conviently leaving on her bra. Then she got in bed beside him and turned off the lights. They sat there, side by side and just looked at each other.

Henry finally laughed. "I feel like we're married or something," he said.

"It is kind of weird, right?" Natalie laughed too.

Once the two were in a comfortable sleep position with Henry's arms around Natalie, they got to the intense talking. They talked for what had to be hours about Henry's parents. Then Natalie opened up even more about her own parents. They were compairing and contrasting all the different types of married couples when Henry pulled Natalie even closer.

"When we're married," he said, "we won't get a divorce. We'll be open and honest, and even if we fight, at the end of the day we'll come home to this: our bed and each other."

"Once again, you are so the girl," she teased. But then she kissed him and said, "Yeah, I'd like that."

After talking till their throats were dry, Natalie feel asleep in Henry's arms, and he quickly followed.

* * *

Mr. Goodman had fallen asleep downstairs while watching ESPN. At around three in the morning, he woke himself up and headed to his real bed. Passing Natalie's room, he peeked in. No funny business. They were just there, sleeping. He smiled to himself, knowing he raised a smart enough daughter. And he wasn't so worried about Henry staying with them anymore.

* * *

**What do you think? Please review!**

**I'd love some ideas for the next chapter. I'm definitely going, I just need some ideas!**


	7. Chapter 7

****

**Ok here's the next chapter! Thanks to iNvIsIbLe GiRl 12 for the idea! :D**

**Disclaimer: the usual, i don't own N2N...**

* * *

When Natalie woke up the next morning, she almost completely forgot what had happened the night before. But then she felt Henry's arms around her and heard his gentle breathing in her ear, and she smiled to herself. She also frowned a little, since she knew Henry was really upset.

She glanced at the clock and it was...8! They were late. They should be in homeroom right now, waiting another seven minutes for their first class to start.

"Shit," she muttered, pulling herself out of Henry's grip and getting out of bed. The minute he wasn't touching her, his eyes shot open.

"Natalie, what's wrong?" he asked.

"We're late," she told him. "School already started." She started pulling clothes to wear out of her drawers. Henry just laughed.

"Calm down," he said with a smile, still comfortably under the covers. "It's no big deal. I'm so tired from last, so worn out. Let's just ditch."

"In case you've forgotten, I cut a lot of class when we were fighting, plus the days I missed when I was in hospital. I can not afford to miss a whole day of school right now."

Henry just smiled at her. "Come on, please. For me?"

She sighed and looked at him. She did feel really bad about his parents, and she was tired too. It would be so easy just to climb into bed next to him and sleep. "Alright," she said. "We'll ditch." She got back into to bed.

He pulled her close until they were in the same position they woke up in. "That's my girl," he muttered before quickly falling asleep again.

* * *

It was about noon when they both woke up again. This time, Natalie was not falling asleep again; she got up and changed while Henry stretched. He rolled out of bed to pull on the same clothes he wore the night before.

"I think we should go to my house and pick up some clothes and stuff while my mom's at work," he said as he buttoned his shirt.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Natalie agreed.

Once they were both totally dressed and groomed, they went downstairs for breakfast. Natalie let out a little scream when she saw her dad sitting at the table sipping his coffee.

"What are you doing home?" she asked, holding Henry's hands behind her back.

"I have the day off," Dan explained, "because of my business trip. What are _you _doing home?"

"Um, see, we...I..."

"Let me explain," Henry cut in. "I forced Natalie to cut school today, Mr. Goodman. I'm just...I can't go to school today. The thing with my parents...I know it's not an excuse to ditch, but it's really taking a toll on me. Natalie's my rock, sir. We kind of always have to be together. Sorry, Mr. Goodman. I really apologize. I didn't think-"

"I get it," Dan interrupted. "But don't think you'll be cutting any more school while you're staying here. I may not be your father, but I'm Natalie's and I have to think about her education."

"Absolutely, sir. This won't happen again."

Mr. Goodman stood and put on his jacket. "I'll go pick up some groceries." And he left.

"That was scary," Natalie said finally. She let go of Henry's hands and got some waffles to make for breakfast.

"You think your dad was really mad?" Henry asked, sitting in the chair her dad was just occupying.

"Maybe. But he'll get over it. Honestly, I think he's kind of happy you're in the house. It's been quiet, a little lonely, with just the two of us. Everyone knows you are just the life of the party," she joked.

"I try."

After they ate, they drove over to Henry's place. Once inside, they were surprised a second time by another unexpecting parental figure. Henry's mom.

"Where have you been?" she fumed.

"At Natalie's," he answered. "Hi, Mom, nice to see you too."

"I was so worried about you. Your father was driving around all night looking for you. I took the day off to see if you'd come home during the day." Meanwhile, Natalie had been standing in the corner. Henry's mother pointed at her. "Instead, you were off galavanting with...with...her!" Henry's parents never really liked Natalie. They thought she was stand-off-ish and had a lot of problems. Which was true.

"Natalie, Mom," Henry shouted. "Her name is Natalie!"

"Oh, excuse me," his mother mocked. "Let me guess, did you sleep at Natalie's last night?"

"I did, Mom, thanks for asking."

"Henry, what is the matter with you? Why didn't you come home? Or at least call?"

"Because I didn't want to be here, Mom!" he screamed. Natalie jumped at his fierce tone. "You and Dad lied to me, your only son. And you didn't even apologize! Don't you understand that I'm angry? Don't you get that I am so disappointed in you two?"

Henry's mom processed the words in silence. Finally she asked, "Why did you come back then?"

"To get my stuff." And with that, he ran up the stairs. Natalie hurried to follow, but Henry's mom stopped her.

"Hey," his mother said. "Um, Natalie, I know we don't really get along, and you probably won't listen to me. But will you at least talk to him? Just tell him that I love him and that I want him to come home." Tears filled the woman's eyes. "Tell him he's my baby and I miss him."

Natalie stood there awkwardly. "Um," she said, "I...I can tell him. I can't promise he'll listen."

"But he listens to everything you say. He's hopelessly in love with you."

"Not hopelessly. I love him too."

His mom blinked at the sharpness in Natalie's voice. Natalie just sighed before running up to Henry's room. He was shoving a bunch of clothes into a suitcase.

"Hey," he said, looking up at her. "What did my mom say to you?"

"She just wants you to come home," Natalie said simply. "She thinks you only listen to me."

"I kind of do," Henry laughed. "So what do you think?"

"I think she misses you, but it's only been a day. And I think it's up to you." She kissed him gently, then hugged him tightly.

"I'm going to stay with you," he said finally, breaking away from her to finish packing.

Once he was all set, they walked back downstairs, hand in hand. Henry's mother was standing in the exact same spot. She laughed when she saw them.

"I guess you've chosen to go with her," she said. Henry glared at her. "Sorry. Natalie."

"Yeah," Henry said, walking right past her and out the door.

"Please come back!" his mom shouted after him. But he threw his luggage into the trunk, got into the car, and drove back to Natalie's house.

* * *

**Reviews please! **

**I hope you guys like it so far! **

**I think I'm going to do something about them and college next!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry it's been so long! I've been super busy but I'm back and ready to write!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Next to Normal :(**

* * *

Henry continued to stay at Natalie's for the next week. They didn't cut any more classes. Natalie cooked really nice meals for dinner just to keep Henry's spirits up. She had honestly been focusing so much on Henry that she completely forgot about her Yale audition. She was making breakfast that next Monday morning when her Dad asked her to check the calendar. That Friday, November 16, was her audition for a full ride at Yale. And she hadn't even practiced in a whole week.

"Shit!" she shouted.

"Language," she heard her dad yell from the family room.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked her, getting up and looking at the calendar too.

"My Yale audition," she explained. "It's this Friday and I totally forgot. I don't even have a flight booked and I haven't even picked a fucking song!"

"Language!" her dad shouted again.

"Nat, I'm sure it'll be fine," Henry said, rubbing her back. "You can book a flight tonight and you're an amazing pianist. You've got the best repertoire. A few hours in the practice room and you'll be set."

"A few hours in the practice room?" Natalie shouted. "Are you insane? I'm not prepared at all. A few hours can't make up for weeks of me slacking! I have to reschedule."

"Aren't you applying like early action?"

"I wish. Early action means I could wait until the spring to commit, so I'm sure I could get another audition in the spring too. But not with early decision. Early decision is one hundred percent the real deal. I have to go if I get in. That's why we audition now, so we know for sure. This can't be happening!"

"Calm down," Henry told her, giving her a kiss to try to distract her. "You can call admissions at lunch when the office is open and explain. I know they'll give you another chance because you're Natalie Goodman and you're amazing."

"Yeah, well, maybe if they actually heard Natalie Goodman play they'd feel the same way," she said bitterly. "But since I've never actually auditioned, they don't give a crap about the Natalie Goodman they've never met!"

"Henry's right!" Dan shouted from the other room. "Just call them up and explain."

"Fine!" Natalie huffed before running up the stairs to get her bookbag.

* * *

"What did they say?" Henry asked. He was sitting at the piano bench in the practice room at school. Natalie had just come back from the bathroom where she made the call to Yale.

"If I don't show Friday, my audition is cancelled and I don't get another shot. They'll keep my application but the woman said without an audition, they can't make a fair decision and I probably will be denied admission."

"Can't you sign up for a regular audition for the spring?"

"I could try, but registration is probably already closed. I'm screwed." She sank down on the bench next to him.

"Hey, it's no big deal," Henry said, trying to comfort her. He pulled her into a hug. "You'll just practice harder than ever before. We'll book the flight tonight like I said and everything's going to be fine. You just have to trust me."

"But Yale was my life-my dream!" Natalie said, voice muffled in Henry's sweatshirt. "If I don't get in...I just don't know."

"You applied to a ton of other great schools. If Yale is stupid enough to reject you, you'll go somewhere just as good."

"Maybe, but I didn't apply to any other music program. I was cocky, like, I knew I would get in. Those other applications, I just sent them out to make Dad happy. I don't want to go anywhere else."

"Can't you still go to Yale, like, not for music?" Henry asked.

"Well, yeah, but just being there and knowing I was that close would kill me."

"Then you just have to rock your audition. And you will. Now practice!" He gave her one last squeeze and then left her in peace to practice, shutting the door just as a familiar Mozart sonata filled the room.

* * *

It was Wednesday night. Natalie had been getting to school an hour early and staying almost three hours late. After the school practically kicked her out, she headed down to the local YMCA where she'd sneak into the music room and practice some more. She was living on protein bars and Red Bull. She missed dinner every night with Henry and Dan and generally got home at around 8 or 8:30.

After saying hi to her dad downstairs, she hurried up to her room. Henry was sitting on the bed, clutching his phone and staring into space.

"Hey," she said, dropping her bookbag and her jacket. She gave him a peck on the cheek and settled in to do some homework. "Sorry I missed dinner again. But you were right. All this extra practice really does make up for what I missed."

"Oh, it's no problem," he said, sounding distant, like he really wasn't listening. "I'm glad you're doing well."

"Well, I'm going to apologize again. I bet it's incredibly awkward for you to sit alone here with my dad all day when I practice. I would have you come with me, but-"

"I know. You need to focus."

Finally she detected the tone of his voice. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

"Huh?" he said, snapping back to reality for the first time since she'd entered. "Oh, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, okay?" he snapped. Snapping was never a good sign with Henry. Natalie sensed a fight coming on.

"Henry, you're clearly not fine," she insisted. "Look, I'm sorry I've been neglecting you this week. But this audition is really important. I need the practice and it's-"

"It's not the audition. It's...It's..."

"What?"

"I just got off the phone with my dad," he said, eyes watering.

"Oh my god, Henry, what did he say?" Natalie asked, pulling him closer to her and wrapping her arms around him.

"I guess Mom told him I left the house. He told me I should go home, but I said no."

"Was that it?"

"He told me why they split. The real reason. Not what my mom said."

"Well, what was it?" she asked slowly.

"He had been cheating," he said after a long pause. His voice was fierce, very angry.

"Oh, Henry, I'm so sorry. That's horrible."

"No, it's gets worse. He's been seeing the girl for seven years! For fucking seven whole years! And my mom knew. She knew. She's known for six years and decided to just let it be. He said it was to keep the family together, to keep me happy. But now his little...the...the other woman is pregnant and that was the last straw for Mom. And Dad wanted to go anyway. So they split."

"Henry, I have no idea what to say," Natalie told him honestly, "other than I'm so sorry you're going through this." She thought her family was messed up, but Henry had it just as bad.

"There's nothing you can say," he said, pushing away from her and getting out of the bed. "My dad's an ass and my family is fucked."

"Come on, don't talk like that. It's never as bad as it seems."

"Nat, seriously? My parents have been lying to me since I was ten. That whole happy family thing was an act. And if they wanted that to work, they should have tried harder. They were unhappy all the time."

"Henry, you-"

"Nat, please just be quiet," Henry interrupted as gently as he could. "I need to...I just need some time." He laughed a little bit. "I have never wanted a joint so badly in my life."

"Henry, I swear to God," Natalie warned, "if you even think of doing that again, you're fucking insane."

"Natalie, please. I'm dying on the inside. You don't understand how horrible I'm feeling."

"Then tell me Henry! Let's talk instead of get high."

"Nat, you're not my mother," he laughed. "You honestly can't tell me what to do."

"Really?" Natalie asked, getting a little bitter. "I thought I'm the only one you listened to."

"Nat, you know what I meant."

"No, I don't."

"Like seriously, just back off. Please. I'm asking you nicely."

"Well then save it," she said, putting on her jacket and getting her bag again. "You want to mess around like that, go ahead. See if I care. But if you do it here, my dad will know and he will kick you out. I'm going to practice because unlike you, I'm concerned about my future and have a major audition Friday."

"Where will you go?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I'd rather break into the school or the YMCA than stay here with you."

"Nat, come on!"

But she was already gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Fastest update ever! LOL Half of this came to me last night and half came to me today so I figured, hey, I have to write it down!**

**I hope you enjoy :D**

* * *

Natalie did go back to the YMCA, which was open for about another half hour. She practiced as much as she could. She had to admit she was sounding a lot better. But after, she just drove around. It was eleven when she got home again. She used the door in the kitchen, hoping to avoid anyone. Unfortunately, her dad was sitting on the counter, eating some Oreo's for a midnight snack.

"Hey, sweetie," he said. "Isn't this a little late for a school night?"

"I was just practicing," she told him. "Remember, I have a big audition in two days?"

"How could I forget? But just to let you know, Henry's sleeping on the couch."

"Good," she said, getting angry again.

"He said you guys got into a fight, but he didn't want to get into any details." Dan looked his daughter up and down. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Dad," she snapped, heading for the stairs. "We both need to be alone right now. We're under a lot of stress and apparently, handle it very differently." She hurried up the stairs to her room. She was expecting it to smell like pot, but it was the exact way she had left it. She got ready for bed, and even though she was stressing about Yale and mad at Henry, she fell asleep.

* * *

"Nat?" someone whispered. "Natalie? Nat! Nat!"

"What?" she croaked, waking up completely and rubbing her eyes. There Henry stood in her doorway. She looked at the clock: 3:19. "Henry, what the hell?"

"Sorry for waking you," he said, "but listen, Nat. Please let me sleep in here. I can't even get more than ten minutes at a time on that couch. I know you're upset, but I need at least 4 decent hours of sleep."

"Well, you'll just have to continuing getting them in ten minute intervals. Goodnight." She settled back into bed and turned away from him. But he just walked around to the other side of the bed.

"Natalie, please. For your information, all I did when you left was talk to my mom on the phone. I got more information on what was going on between my parents. I feel a little better now, knowing that my mom was genuinely unhurt by it all, but I swear to you and to God that I did not go off and get high or anything. I did homework, then I crashed on the couch. I was just really upset when I said those stupid things. You know I would never do that to myself or to you. Why would I want to hurt you? Is that the Henry you know?"

His apology was sincere, and Natalie hated it when they fought. She had to forgive and forget. "Alright, fine," she said, scooting over and letting him into bed. "But only because I love and believe you. And I'm still upset about the joint comment."

"Hey, you're the one who actually started using again, not me," he pointed out. She glared at him. "Too much. I know. Sorry. I love you."

"You better," she whispered, cuddling closer and falling asleep.

* * *

It was Friday. Time was up. She was standing backstage in the theater, up next for her big Yale audition. The moment she'd been preparing for since birth. Afterschool on Thursday, she and Henry hopped on a plane to fly all the way across the country to Connecticut. They stayed in a hotel, and Natalie refused to abide by the "no guests playing the grand paino in the lobby" rule and was up until 2 a.m. practing.

It was 12:30. Her audition slot was 12:35. She just hoped all that hard work would be worth it. She hoped she didn't throw away her only chance. Her dream. Henry stood beside her, helping in anyway he could: massaging her neck, kissing her cheek, giving her a hug. He would be there the whole time. That helped to settle her stomach. But only just a little.

As the boy who played the flute finished up his song and started up some small-talk with the music program administrator and head of department, Henry gave her one last kiss.

"You'll be fantastic," he told her. "You always are."

"I hope you're right," she said, letting out a huge breath. _Breathe, _she told herself, _don't forget to fucking breathe!_

"You're up," the woman who was directing them on and off said. With one last glance at Henry, she headed onstage.

You could barely see the teachers in the audience, but Natalie knew they were there. She stood behind the piano, ready to take her seat and ready to put her life on the line.

"Natalie Goodman," she announced. She sat and was about to start-

"Yes," one lady said from the audience. "You called about an audition switch." The tone in her voice made Natalie feel even worse than she already did.

"Um, yes. Yes, I did."

"The reason?"

"I didn't really have a good one," she said quietly.

"I see," the woman said, and Natalie detected a hint of something like disgust in her voice. This made Natalie really angry. "You may begin."

"Well, actually I did have a pretty good one," Natalie said, standing up and walking to the edge of the stage. Out of the spotlight, she could see the judging panel's faces clearly. The woman dressed in all black with the short white hair and diamond earrings was the one giving her a hard time. "Let me go back about eight or nine months ago..." She let out a sigh. Was she really going to Yale professors about her messed up life? Yes. She had to. It was her life, wasn't it? For how long was she supposed to hide every little piece of her past? They would never understand why she might not be at her best if she didn't come clean.

"Actually," she said, "let's go back way before that. When...When...Before I was born, I had a brother. And he...died when he was eight months old. My mom has been diagnosed bipolar depressive for sixteen years." She stopped herself. "I guess it's seventeen now. More recently, it became...extremely hard to deal with. I wasted weeks of practice with my boyfriend before he was actually my boyfriend. It felt nice not to be perfect all the time. All last year, I was focused on being perfect, but all that changed for me. As my mom got worse, so did I. Piano wasn't a priority. Let's just say I didn't want to come home and play my piano after a night of Robotripping." The judges looked appalled. "I completely bombed one winter recital and didn't bother signing up for the spring. When she went in for ECT, I'm sure you know what that is, she lost nineteen years of memory. She actually forgot all about my brother and things were getting better. Until she remembered, then she and my dad had this huge fight and I had a dance to go to and then I ended up taking her to the doctors." She took a breath. "We...We talked...sorted some stuff out. She stopped all her treatments, walked out on her doctor." It sounded like some movie. It hurt so much to relive it all.

But she continued. "Then my mother decided to just up and leave. My parents are seperated now. We hear from her every once in a while. You see, my life was never easy. Mom always...complicated things. As a kid, I liked the piano because even though Mozart was crazy, his music wasn't. You could sit and play every piece of music that man ever wrote, and you wouldn't even know he was out of his mind. The notes stayed on the page, they never changed. They never freaked out at the store or embarrassed you at a swim meet or ran over your cat." Someone in the house cleared their throat. "Anyway, my whole life revolved around my mother. But for one hour of every day, I could sit back and play and get lost in bars and measures and time signatures. Even though my mother was...is...crazy and let me down my whole life, the piano never did that."

She wasn't done yet. Just speaking all of it out loud fueled the fire. There was so much she needed to say. So much of her had changed. She was finally seeing that Yale didn't matter. Piano barely mattered. Life itself was much more important. Was she honestly going to resent her mother for the rest of her life? Did she think acting like it ruined her life would make it more true? The past was the past. This was now. This was her future. And suddenly, she didn't like the looks of it.

"Is that all?" a man asked.

"No," she said quickly. She had to keep talking. She was having a breakthrough. "Actually, the piano made you think it never did that. It was always there, ready to be played, when really it was the one playing you. It called out to you, filling your head with the way the song is supposed to sound. But when you're sitting there in front of hundreds of people and it matters the most, like it did that winter, the piano lets you down. One little slip, and it's over. One little slip and that perfect dream you had of a free ride to Yale is shattered. One little slip...and you're fucked." An audible gasp from the house.

"I thought there were only two things that mattered. School and piano. Do good and both and your dreams come true. But now I understand that this was never my dream. I never dreamed of being judged just because I asked to postpone my audition. I didn't dream of standing on this stage under these lights and having to explain my whole entire history just so you all can understand that I really am an amazing pianist but might not be at my best today. I never dreamed-"

"You're five minutes is up," the white haired lady cut in. "Did you come here to play or to make up for the therapy session you're missing?"

Natalie's jaw dropped. _How dare she? _she thought. _Fuck Yale. They don't deserve me._

She walked to the piano and sat down. She took a breath before diving into Mozart's _Alla Turca, _the Turkish march. And she played it perfectly. All of the notes were hit at the perfect time. She hadn't even played it that good in practice. She was so in the moment, the whole song was a blur, but she knew she had executed a flawless performance. The professors were speechless, looking at her with such joy, such admiration.

"Natalie," the woman said, "we would be honored to have-"

"I withdraw my application," Natalie said before running offstage.

* * *

**I hope you liked that! Seriously, if you're not familiar with the Turkish March (which you will be once you hear it) you need to listen to it on youtube because I was looking for the perfect piece for her to play and this came up and as I was listening, it just fit. I'm sure you'll agree that you can just hear Natalie getting lost in it.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, honestly I have no idea where this story is going, but I'm just going to write LOL**

**Thanks for all the reviews, it means so much! :D**

**And I don't own Next to Normal...If I did, I'd be married to Henry and we'd be jamming out to jazz piano in our little villa on the Italian countryside :)**

* * *

"So what are you going to do now?" Henry asked. He and Natalie were on their flight back from Connecticut.

"I don't know," Natalie said. "I guess I'll have to tell my dad about what I did and then just wait to hear from the other colleges."

"You'll get in anywhere. Harvard, Princeton, where else did you apply?"

"UCLA," she said with a smile.

"What? There is no way you are going there just because I am. I'm not letting you ruin your chance at an Ivy League education just for me."

"Come on, Henry. Just you and me in sunny California. Now that Yale's a no-go, that's all I really want."

"Your dad will never let you do that," he reminded her.

"He won't care, I promise," she assured him. "I want to be with you. And UCLA's a good school. We'll have fun."

"College isn't all about fun, you know."

"Wow," she said, laughing. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Shut up," he teased, giving her a fake slap on the arm.

When they landed back in Seattle, Natalie dreaded seeing her father. He had been so proud of her, so encouraging. He had wanted her to go to Yale probably more than Natalie wanted to go herself. She hated letting him down. Of course he was waiting eagerly in the airport.

"Hey, Nat," he said, giving her a big hug. "It's so great to have you back. I booked a reservation for tonight at Blue Sand. I know it's your favorite place."

"Um, Dad, you didn't have to do that," Natalie said, regretting having to tell him anything upsetting at all.

"Nat, are you okay?"

Natalie just nodded. "Uh, it was a really interesting trip," Henry answered for her. "We should talk about it over dinner."

"Good idea," Dan agreed, chipper again. "Let's go."

They drove across town to Blue Sand, the hottest new seafood place around. Natalie liked it there because it was dark and the music was loud so you barely had to talk. And the food wasn't too bad. They got a table in the back and ordered their drinks before Dan brought up the audition.

"So did they love you?" he asked.

"Once they heard me play," she answered honestly.

"So when do we get your acceptance letter?"

"Never."

"What do you mean?" Dan asked uneasily.

"I've withdrawn," Natalie answered with a sigh.

"What? Why?"

"They were giving me a hard time about the audition, so I had to explain everything, and by everything, I mean everything. Then this lady makes a comment about me needing therapy, so I thought, hey, fuck Yale. I mean, come on, what kind of career can I have with piano anyway?"

Dan took a moment to digest it all. Natalie was surprised he didn't comment on her swearing. "So no Yale?" he asked quietly.

"No. I'll be going to UCLA with Henry in the fall."

"That is if she doesn't get in to Harvard or Princeton," Henry said quickly. "Which she will, so no worries."

"No," Natalie said. "We're going to have to talk about this at some point. We might as well do it now."

"You would rather go to UCLA than an Ivy League?" Dan asked, not sure what kind of sick monster was posessing his daughter's body.

"No, she definitely would not," Henry jumped in, not wanting to upset Dan.

"Actually," Natalie said, getting annoyed, "I would. Look, I care about Henry and I think UCLA would be a great place for us. I mean, he's already going, but it'll be good for me too. Like, when was the last time I got some sun?"

"That's not what college is all about," Dan said. "You have to think about your future."

"I already have. I'll study in their architecture program and do what you do. I've always wanted to do that."

"You've always wanted to go to Yale."

"No," Natalie said, "I used to. Now I understand that was all a fantasy. I will be just as happy in California as I would be in Connecticut."

Dan didn't want to argue with Natalie. He figured she would get herself out of this one. Sure, she could to UCLA for a semester. But then he was positive she'd realize that it was all a mistake. And then she could transfer. He smiled.

"Alright," he said. "It's your choice."

"Really, Dad?" Dan nodded. "Thank you so much!" Natalie said, beaming.

He kept nodding, kept smiling, hoping that he hadn't just made a mistake himself.

* * *

**Sorry it's so short! Next chapter I'm jumping ahead to college. YAYYYY! lol**

**Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Alright, I'm having some really good ideas for this story so I'm super excited!**

**And I do not own the fabulous Next to Normal :) And I researched all the different cocktails featured at the college party, so I didn't come up with any of that on my own.**

**Please enjoy and review!**

* * *

Natalie could not believe how much time had gone by. She had two days left at home. Then she and Henry were roadtripping down to California to start off their freshman year at UCLA. They were both insanely excited, but Natalie had to admit she was nervous. She wasn't good with people. She'd have Henry, but would she have anyone else?

And she was still pretty shocked her Dad was letting her go. And he was being so cool about it!

Senior year itself had flown by. There was a lot of school work, then a fantastic spring break with Henry's family in Miami, followed by a crazy prom. She had never dressed up that much in her life. And Henry had rented a tux and everything. Of course graduation day was special. They had spent the summer going to various parties and gatherings. She really wished it didn't have to end.

But it was going to, she thought, sighing and continuing to pack up her clothes.

"Need any help?" a voice asked. She turned to see her mother in the doorway.

"Mom!" she said, running to give Diana a hug. "What are you doing here?" She hadn't seen her mom since her graduation party at the end of June.

"I just wanted to say goodbye and everything. I'm going away for a few days, a therapy group spa trip thing, you wouldn't find it interesting, so I just wanted to stop by. Can I help you out?"

"Yeah, sure, I still have plenty of packing to do."

"Great." And Natalie and Diana started to finish the rest of the work together. They talked, they laughed, sharing stories and enjoying the time. They packed well into the night, finishing much faster than Natalie had anticipated.

"Looks like that's everything," Natalie said, zipping up the final suitcase.

"We make an awesome team," Diana said with a smile. She checked her watch. "It's close to midnight. I have some packing of my own to do before I leave tomorrow." She gave her daughter a quick hug. "It was great to see you, honey."

"Same, Mom."

"I know you'll have the best time at school. And feel free to call me whenever. You know I'm here for you."

"I know, Mom." Natalie smiled. "Thanks."

"I have to go," Diana said sadly. "I love you, honey." She hugged her daughter again.

"I love you, Mom."

* * *

Her two days were up. Natalie stood in her driveway, watching as Henry put the last of his stuff into the back of Dan's SUV. He was nice enough to lend it to them for their four years at UCLA. And it would make moving in so much easier.

"That's it!" Henry said enthusiastically. "We are ready to hit the road."

Natalie took a deep breath and finally smiled. "Yeah. Great. Let's go."

"Not without saying goodbye," Dan said, hurrying over to the couple and giving them each a hug. He held on to Natalie for a long time though. "I love you, Nat," he said. "Have a great time, but be safe. Call me everyday. And don't forget about school work. That's why you're going in the first place."

Natalie pulled out of the hug. "I will, Dad, don't worry," she said. "I'll be fine." She reached for Henry's hand. "We'll be fine."

To Henry, Dan said, "You better take of her."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Goodman," Henry said. "I would never let anything happen to your daughter."

"We should go," Natalie said after they all stood around for a few seconds. Awkwardly of course. "There's going to be traffic and stuff, and it's such a long drive."

"Right, right," Dan said, "go on your way. Don't forget to call!" He hugged them one last time and then went back inside. Henry and Natalie got in the car, Henry behind the wheel. As they pulled onto the highway, Henry rolled down the windows and cranked up the radio.

"This is it, baby!" he shouted. "California here we come!"

* * *

After 18 hours, ten minutes, one thousand one hundred and thirty nine miles, and $130 in gas later, they were parking in front of their dorm. The girls had the first two floors, guys had the top two. Henry and Natalie gave each other a quick kiss before they had to seperate in order to move in.

Natalie was happy to find her room totally empty. Her roommate had yet to arrive. She managed to make her bed and put away all of her clothes before the girl showed up. She was about 5'4" with short curly blonde hair and bright green eyes.

"Hi," the girl said. "Are you Natalie?"

"Um, yeah," Natalie said, hating the fact that she was a good four inches taller than this girl. "What's your name again?"

"Stella," she said, giving Natalie a quick handshake. "I'm from Washington."

"State?" Natalie asked excitedly. "Me too!"

"D.C. actually. Sorry."

"Oh."

"Hey, I think we can still get along. I love the beach, scary movies, Mozart, golf, doing make-up, Facebook-"

"Wait, Mozart?" Natalie repeated.

"Yeah, my brother played classical piano and it always fascinated me. I love listening to it."

"I'm a classical pianist." Natalie smiled. "I think we'll have a good time."

Natalie finished unpacking as Stella began, then she helped out her new roommate. Natalie was surprised by how good they were getting along. And of course when the topic of boyfriends came up, things got even better.

"So I have a boyfriend," Stella said as she put the sheets on her bed. "His name is Kyle and he's a freshman here too. It's so cool that we can be together."

"No way!" Natalie said, totally loving this. Hey, she never had a girlfriend in her life. "My boyfriend's here too. His name's Henry."

"That's so funny! Is he cute?"

"Oh, totally. How about Kyle?"

"Gorgeous. So you know what this means, right?"

"What?" Natalie asked.

"Haven't you heard the rumors?" Stella asked, putting her pillows aside and looking at Natalie.

"No."

"Well, apparently, every year on the first night of freshman year, you have your first super wild college party."

"Oh, I've heard that," Natalie said with a shrug. "I don't really party hard though. I kind of had a thing before...when I was sixteen. I didn't do hardcore stuff, just drinking and prescription meds. I'm clean, I swear. I just like to stay away from all that."

"I know what you mean," Stella said, nodding sympathetically. "But that's not what _I_ mean. I'm talking about the rumor that if you already have a boyfriend...or if you don't, you always have...you know, sex, on the first night."

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Around. I mean, it's kind of...stupid. Like, you shouldn't have to be pressured into it because of something college initiation thing."

Natalie laughed. "Virgin?"

"Yeah," Stella admitted. "You?"

"Yeah," Natalie said.

"Oh my god! I have an idea! We should do it tonight. In honor of that rule or whatever."

"Really? But I mean...what if we're not ready?"

"Hey, we're only eighteen once," Stella said, going back to her bedding. "Why not have some fun?"

* * *

As Stella predicted, every floor was having a big party. There was dancing in the hallways, making out and more in the dorm rooms, and a never ending flow of alcohol. Natalie had been determined to avoid the booze, but Stella handed her a drink at the beginning of the party, and Natalie decided to just go with it.

"It's called a Hello Kitty," Stella had told her. "This really cute guy showed me how to make it. It's vodka and soda syrup and some strawberry stuff. So yummy!" The party had only just started and Stella was drunk. A few minutes after, Natalie wanted to get her cell out of her dorm to call Henry, but Stella and Kyle were already getting busy. She decided to look for Henry on her own. She picked up another Hello Kitty on the way up to his floor.

And she did find him, bopping to the music in front of his room talking to his roommate.

"Hey, Nat!" he called when he saw her. "Come meet Jake." She said hi to the really tall and thin boy with redish brown hair and blue eyes. He was relatively cute, but Henry was far better looking. "He's from Indiana and is playing football here."

Natalie noticed Henry was extra perky tonight. "What are you drinking?" she asked.

"All the floors are doing all these crazy cocktails," he told her excitedly. He gave his red plastic cup a little shake. "This is called Happy Monkey." He started laughing. "You know, vodka, Sprite, and banana schnapps. I don't even know what banana schnapps is." He continued laughing.

"Just liquor. Do you...maybe...maybe you want to come meet my roommate and stuff?"

"Sure."

She led him downstairs and to her room. Luckily, Stella and her boyfriend were finished. Kyle was lost in the sea of drunk teens again and Stella was giddily redressing.

"Hey, Natalie," she said. "Is this Henry?"

"Um, yeah. Henry, I'd like you to meet my roommate, Stella. We have a lot in common."

"Oh, awesome," Henry said, "Nice to meet you."

"You should meet Kyle," Stella suggested. "He has brown hair and is the green rugby shirt. I'll make you guys another set of drinks-something cool I was just taught. And then us girls will catch up with you guys." Henry smiled and headed into the hallway. Stella shut the door behind him.

"Oh my god!" she squealed. "I just had the most amazing time of my life. And I don't even care that I'm drunk!" She laughed. "Anyway, you have to do it with Henry. I swear, you won't regret it." Back in the hallway, Stella mixed them all new drinks. "This is called Strip and Go Naked Punch." She giggled. "You know why I mixed this, Nat." She nudged Natalie in the side. Henry gave the girls a weird look. "Anyway, it's vodka and lemonade with a splash of Bud Light and water."

"Don't you think we've been doing a lot of drink mixing tonight?" Natalie asked, slowly taking a cautious sip of the drink. She didn't really like it, but Henry seemed to so she decided to keep drinking.

"It's our first college party," Kyle chimed in. "You have to go all out for your first time."

"In more ways than one, if you know what I mean," Stella said, once again nudging Natalie.

"Alright, there's been a lot of suggesting going on," Henry said, downing the last bit of his punch. "What are you up to?"

Natalie said. "Stella made this drink for us because she really would like us to strip and go naked."

"What?"

"Like, have sex," Stella said. "Time for refills!" She hurried back to the drinks table.

"We did it tonight, bro," Kyle said, slapping Henry on the back. "It's sort of like first night of freshman year thing."

"So are we going to?" Henry asked Natalie.

"I made two Sex on the Brain's just for you two!" Stella squealed, rejoing them and handing two of the four plastic cups in her hands to Nat and Henry. "It's peach schnapps, vodka, a bit of melon liqueur, some pineapple juice and some orange juice. There should be gin in it too, but I couldn't find any, but it'll still be fine." She handed a different drink to Kyle. "Rum and Coke for my man," she said, laughing. "I'm back to the Hello Kitty myself."

The music started to get a bit too loud for Natalie, and she hated to admit it but Stella's giggles were getting annoying.

"Come with me," Natalie said to Henry, pulling him back to her room. She shut the door behind them. She sipped her drink, but hated it so ended up dumping it in the trash can. Henry did the same. "I've had about three drinks too many. I can't believe I drank in the first place."

"It's college," Henry said, giving her a quick kiss. "You're going to drink. But on a different note, what's up with all this sex talk? I didn't know you wanted to."

"Well, I didn't. I mean, I wasn't thinking about it until Stella told me about the first freshman party thing."

"But do you want to?"

"I don't know. I mean, we're ready, probably. We've been together a long time."

"Yeah, but do you want to?" Henry repeated.

"Do you?" Natalie asked.

"Well, I've definitely thought about it. And I definitely want to. What guy wouldn't want to? But I wouldn't want you to do something you weren't comfortable with."

"So let's do it," Natalie said simply.

"Really?"

"Well, not only is it expected but it's...right. I love you and I want to be able to show you in a different way."

Henry smiled. "If you really want to, we can," he said.

After a deep breath, Natalie said, "I do." Her voice was much firmer than she intended. But she was glad it came out that way.

And so it began. Henry took her by the waist and they began kissing with a newfound passion. It was Natalie though who took charge and led him to the bed. Henry soon began fumbling with his belt bucket as Natalie stripped off her shirt. Within seconds their bodies were pressed together and they were so caught up in the moment, they didn't even notice or care they weren't using protection.

They fell asleep in each others arms, completely blissful. Natalie didn't regret doing it at all. She loved Henry so much it was worth it. And Henry felt the same way. The whole night was perfect. In fact, it was so good that it became a regular thing between the two of them. It brought them closer together and happier than ever.

_Yes, _Natalie thought, sitting and doing homework at her desk a few weeks later, _college is perfect. I'm having the time of my life._

If only she knew what was going to happen next...

* * *

**Dun Dun Dun! LOL**

**I hope you liked the wild college chapter! Stay tuned for extra drama :)**

**Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ok I just had to update this, but I needed a couple days to sort it all out in my mind LOL**

**Thanks for the reviews :) please keep them coming!**

**I don't own Next to Normal**

* * *

It was two months since that first college party. Henry and Natalie would be driving back home in a week for Thanksgiving break. Henry had agreed to spend the day with his mother and father, so Natalie was not looking forward to that. She was stressing. There was so much work to do and it seemed like she was barely making it through. She had literally been living on Red Bull and the occasional candy bar. Who had time to walk all the way to the cafeteria and sit down for half an hour and have a meal and chat with friends? Natalie was sitting in her room at her desk just doing all her school work. And she was acing every class because of it. But it wasn't easy.

She was also stressing because this was the second month she missed her period. Of course the first time she figured it was all the stress. That happened sometimes in high school. But now, she was praying she wasn't pregnant. Finally, she decided to just go out and buy a test. Stella walked in on her waiting for the results one afternoon.

"Oh my god," she said, "what's going on?"

"Um..." Natalie checked her watch and took a deep breath. "We'll found out in a second." She picked up the little stick. Positive. _Fuck. _

"Are you pregnant?" Stella asked. She had moved closer to Natalie and was trying to get a look at the test.

"Um, I guess," Natalie said uneasily. "Do we maybe have any more of these just to be sure?"

"I might." She looked under the sink and did indeed find an extra test. "Here." Stella left Natalie in peace to try again. But it came back positive a second time.

"I think I really am pregnant," Natalie said finally, closing the toilet seat and sitting down.

"It's Henry's, right?" Stella asked.

"Of course. Oh, god, Henry! What am I supposed to tell him?"

"The truth. You kind of have to. Sooner or later, he'd find out."

"How the hell did this happen?" Natalie cried hysterically.

"Um, well..."

"I mean, were we that stupid? I thought this would never happen to me! I mean, this can't be happening. I'm not married, I don't have my degree yet! And how am I supposed to tell my dad?"

"Natalie, calm down," Stella said, putting a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Why don't we go to the campus clinic and get a blood test done? The home tests can be innaccurate."

Natalie and Stella walked over to the clinic, even though Natalie had so much homework to do and didn't have time to waste, especially if this was all a big mistake. But it wasn't.

"Yes, sweetie," the nurse said, looking through the test results. "You are pregnant."

"Seriously?" Natalie asked.

"Yes, seriously. I would say this a "first-freshman-party" baby, am I right?"

"Um...are you positive?"

"Postive, honey," the nurse said, closing the file. "My advice? Take care of yourself. And if you plan on continuing your education, I would recommend looking into the apartments for student families. We have fabulous child care here, as well as playgrounds and swimming pools, all of that. And most of all, good luck." She left Natalie alone to sit on that uncomfortable table and cry. _Why does this have to happen to me? I can't have a baby in college. I can't be my mother._

Eventually, she had calmed down enough to join Stella in the library. Something didn't look right.

"What?" she asked.

"Henry just called," she said nervously. "He had stopped by the room and was nervous that you weren't there, since you're always there working."

"Well, what did you tell him?"

"I said you weren't feeling well so I brought you to the clinic. I said we'd be back later, but he insists on waiting for us."

"Okay," Natalie said, taking deep breaths. "I'll just talk to him. It'll be fine." Another breath. "It's all going to be fine."

* * *

Stella went over to Kyle's dorm so that Natalie could be alone with Henry. When Natalie opened the door, Henry ran at her, taking her in his arms for the biggest hug she had ever received.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Stella said you were at the clinic. Is everything okay?"

Natalie broke free from his grip. "Why don't you sit down?" she suggested.

Henry gave her a confused look. "Um, okay." And he did.

It took Natalie a few minutes to gather the courage to say anything at all. "Um...Well...I noticed there was...a change in my...my...womanly situation."

Henry laughed. "You mean your period?"

"Um, yeah."

"Well, are you okay?" he asked.

"You're not catching on, are you?" Natalie asked.

"I don't think so."

"Well, this isn't easy to say so bare with me."

"Okay."

"Stella and I were concerned that I could be...with child. So we went to the clinic to see for sure."

"And are you?" Henry asked uneasily. His face was expressionless. This made Natalie even more nervous.

"Um...yes," she said.

Henry took a deep breath. "Okay," he said, suddenly smiling. He stood up and gave her a hug. "So you're having a baby. Perfect. We'll make it work."

"Seriously?" she said. "We'll make it work? Henry, I'm eighteen. I'm not ready to have a baby."

"Well, neither am I. But Natalie, come on. It's happening, isn't it? Life is full of surprises. And how do you know that this isn't a sign that we're meant to be together?"

Natalie couldn't help but start crying on his shoulder. "But I don't want this. I want you, but I don't want a baby. Not now. Why was I so stupid? We didn't _need _to have sex. It was fun, but it wasn't worth it."

"Ssh. Don't say that. We're having this baby, Natalie. And we'll make it work, like I said. I can get a job and we can do that whole student families program. Everything will be okay."

"How can you be so calm all the time?" Natalie asked. "You do realize that next week we're going home to see our families? How are we supposed to tell them?"

"We just will," he said. "Natalie, calm down." He gave her a kiss on the lips. "I love you. And I know that I will love this baby. You know why? Because he or she is ours. Picture this: a little Henry or Natalie Jr. running around, a little person to love and hold. Won't that be nice?"

Natalie thought about it, picturing it like he said. "Maybe."

"Nat?"

"Alright," she said, softening. "Having a baby will be hard, but not so horrible. At least I'm having it with you and not anyone else."

"Oh, I meant to ask you," Henry said. "The baby is mine, right?"

She smacked him in the arm. "Yes, wise guy, it is."

"Just checking. Now, all we have to think about is how to explain this to our parents."

* * *

One week later, Natalie and Henry were parked in front of Henry's house. They were spending just two days there, then they were heading over to Natalie's for the rest of the break. The minute Natalie stepped out of the car, Natalie felt incredibly nauseous. She puked right on the curb.

"Are you okay?" Henry asked, rubbing her back.

"Um, I just puked on the sidewalk," she said.

"I can see that."

The front door opened: Henry's mom. "Is everything okay?" she called from the front porch.

"Yeah," Henry told her. "We just got a little carsick. Give us a minute, Mom. We'll be right in." She went back inside.

"I can't do this," Natalie said.

"You can," Henry assured her. "Just remember, I'm right here." He kissed her.

"Ew, you kissed me and I just puked."

"Yeah, I know," Henry said, wiping his mouth. "It was a spur of the moment thing. Bad idea."

"Hey!" She smacked him.

"Sorry." They stood there laughing for a few minutes. "Are you ready?"

"No, but I have no choice. Let's go."

* * *

**Hehehe! Baby :) I'm very excited to continue.**

**Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ok I'm finally updating this. Things have been hectic with school and all. **

**Just just so you all know, in a few chapters this story will be complete!**

**I don't own N2N**

* * *

Henry and Natalie sat at the dining room table with his parents. No one was talking. They just sat there and ate. You could tell Henry's dad was getting a little annoyed. Half-way through the meal, he slammed his fork down on the table.

"Alright," he said, "I didn't come here to sit in silence. Somebody for the love of God say something!"

"How about no screaming at the table?" Henry's mother said quietly.

He ignored her. "How's school you two?" he asked Henry and Natalie.

"Good, really good," Natalie said quickly. "Stressful, but fun. But not too fun. Definitely not too fun at all."

"Uh, yeah, it's perfect," Henry said, eyeing Natalie. She wasn't ready to tell his parents. Definitely not ready. "How are you dad? I haven't seen you pretty much all year."

"Oh, well, you know, I'm busy with work," he said. "And then Katie had her baby. So it's one big balancing act. But the baby, his name is Thomas, is just a joy. He's so adorable and he does the cutest things!"

"Glad to know you're finally enjoying fatherhood," Henry said bitterly.

"So you were living with Natalie for a while?"

"Yeah, her dad's the greatest. He's really honest and open and respecting of Natalie. And he treated me like his own son. That felt really nice. You know, being treated like a son. Being loved."

"Henry, please," his mother interrupted. "Not now."

"No, go on," his father said pretty sarcastically. "Get it out of your system."

"Fine," Henry said. "Dad, for your information, you disgust me. After what you did to Mom, I'm surprised you'd even show your face in this house again."

"Now, Henry, I know you're angry with me but-"

Henry jumped out his seat. "Angry doesn't even begin to describe how I feel! How could you do that to her? To us? To this family? Did you not care about us at all? What about me, Dad? Huh? Do you even love me? Or do you favor the newborn with your little whore!"

"That's quite enough!" his dad shouted, also standing up. "The divorce had nothing to do with you. It was between me and your mother. Did you forget that she was willing to go along with it for all these years? It never changed how I felt about you. And you don't have to bring Katie into this."

"Oh, sorry! Sorry that precious Katie had to be sucked into this conversation! I'm sorry I could never give you what your new kid gives you. Sorry Mom couldn't give you what Katie gave you. By the way, what did Katie give you?"

Natalie couldn't handle all the screaming. It reminded her of when she was younger and her parents would fight about Gabe. She hated it, she hated fighting. Finally, she blurted, "I'm pregnant!"

The room went silent. "What?" Henry's mother asked.

"Yeah," Henry said. "Natalie's pregnant and we're leaving." He grabbed her hand and headed for the front door.

"Now wait a minute!" his father said, following them to the hallway. "You mean to tell me that you were screaming at me just then, criticizing me, when all along you got a girl pregant?"

"It's not just any girl, Dad. It's Natalie. My girlfriend? The girl I love? Oh, sorry, I forgot. You don't a thing about love."

"Well, don't go calling Katie a whore when I could just as easily call Natalie the same. They both got knocked up."

That was the boiling point for Henry. Next thing you know, he punched his dad right in the face. He stumbled backwards and hit the wall before sinking to the floor. His nose was a bloody mess. "Fuck you," Henry spat. And with that, he led Natalie out of the house and to the car, ignoring his mother screams from inside the house.

"Did that really just happen?" Natalie asked as they drove across town to her house.

"Yeah, I think so," Henry answered. Then he started laughing. "I just punched my dad."

"Well, let's just hope my dad handles the news a little better than your parents did."

"I think he will. He's always cool like that. Remember he let me sleep in your bed for all those months?"

"Yeah, but I hope this doesn't make him regret all that."

"It won't," Henry assured her. "He'll be totally fine."

* * *

"You're what?" Dan shouted. He stared at his daughter and her boyfriend in total disbelief.

"Um, having a baby?" Natalie repeated.

"You're pregnant?"

"Yeah."

"How the hell did that happen?" he screamed. "No, don't answer that." He turned to Henry. "You! You did this!"

"For your information," Henry said nervously, not wanting Dan to punch him out like he did with his dad. And by the look on Dan's face, he was pretty close to doing so. "Natalie was the one who wanted to have sex in the first place."

"Don't you dare pin this on my daughter! I raised her better than that."

"Actually, Dad," Natalie said, stepping in and filling the space between her dad and boyfriend, "Henry's right. It was me."

Dan's face fell. "What?" he asked.

"It was stupid and I know that now. I'm so sorry. It was the biggest mistake of my life. But please, please, please, please, please! Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad. I'm incredibly disappointed in you." To Natalie, that was worse.

"I know. And you should be," she admitted.

"I can't even look at the two of you. I need some time to think all about this."

"What do you mean?" Henry asked.

"You're going to have to stay somewhere else."

"What?" Natalie asked.

"I'm serious, Natalie. I don't think I can have you in the house."

"Dad, come on. Where are we supposed to go?"

* * *

Natalie stood on an unfamiliar doorstep with Henry at her side. She had gotten the address almost two years ago. She wasn't sure if it was even right. She rang the doorbell just as it became eleven o'clock and the rain started to pour. Diana opened the door a few minutes later in a green nightshirt with her grey sweater wrapped tightly around her.

"Natalie?" she asked. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," she said. "Can we stay here?" Her eyes started to water. "Dad kicked us out."

"Honey, what's wrong?" Natalie couldn't answer, she just cried. "Come out of the cold, both of you. I'll make you some tea and then you're going straight to sleep. Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow."

* * *

**What do you think? Dramatic, right? LOL**

**Please review!**

**I'll update as soon as I can!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey fanfiction! I know, its been forever, and you've probably forgotten all about this story, but I'm finally updating!**

**Please review :) That would be great**

**And hopefully, I'll be on fanfiction a lot more now that school isn't so crazy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own N2N. Not even with the new cast.**

* * *

Natalie and Henry had slept in Diana's guest room that night. Natalie couldn't stop crying. It took a lot of hugs and soothing words from Henry to ease her pain. But it didn't last very long. She was astonished that she even managed to get in three hours of sleep. She was up at five and wandered into the kitchen. Diana was up making a cup of tea. That didn't surprise Natalie. Back when they all had been living under one roof, everyone was used to Diana being up at all hours.

"Good morning, honey," she said with a smile. "You want something to drink? Or eat?"

"I'm not-" Natalie was going to say she wasn't hungry. She rarely ate breakfast. But her stomach was growling. "Sure, I guess. Whatever you have is fine."

Diana began pouring an extra cup of tea and let Natalie drink it while she began preparing some eggs and toast. After a bit of silence, Diana spoke. "Do you want to talk about what happened with your dad or would you rather wait until Henry's up?"

"It's probably easier without Henry here," Natalie answered.

"Alright. What's going on?"

Natalie couldn't hold it in much longer. She wouldn't. Her mom needed to know. She needed that support. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Natalie couldn't tell if Diana was upset or not. Her eyes had a familiar vacancy about them.

"Henry and I made a huge mistake and now I'm having a baby. Henry got into a huge fight with his dad about it, and then when we went home to talk to Dad, he kicked us out. We had no where to go." Natalie started crying again. "I really screwed up. I'm one huge failure."

"Natalie, you know that's not true," Diana said, rushing to her daughter. "You're a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman, and you will make a fantastic mother."

"How can you say that?" Natalie cried. "Why aren't you mad? You're a parent! You should be screaming at me. You should be furious. I would be."

"But I'm not like most mothers. I've been through the same thing, a baby in college. It's not easy and it sure isn't something your parents are proud of, but at least I know how it feels. Everything is so different. You're confused and scared. All of the older women in your birthing classes seem like their judging you because of your age. But you have to know your not alone. You'll have Henry. And even if you don't have your father, you have me."

"But I need both of you," Natalie whispered.

"Your dad will come around. I'll make sure of it. All that matters now is that you stay healthy, and when that baby comes, you make sure it's loved. If you don't or can't love it, then you shouldn't have brought it into the world. You loved Henry enough to make the child, you have to show your child that same love."

It was so strange hearing that from her mother. Natalie had grown up feeling so unloved, and yet there her mother stood preaching about how she needed to love her baby because she had made the decision to have it in the first place. But Natalie didn't really want it. Was that wrong? Should she terminate the pregnancy? Was it too late?

"Is it...Could I do something about it?" Natalie asked. "If I knew I wasn't ready, if I really, really knew I couldn't handle a baby. If I knew that bringing a child into the world was the wrong decision, could I stop it? Is it too late for me to have an abortion?"

Diana looked confused for a moment, like she wasn't expecting her daughter to say such a thing, but then she smiled and patted Natalie's back. "You're probably not too far along. But that's a very serious decision. You need to talk to Henry first, and you need to make sure it's what you really want."

"Right, right, of course," Natalie said quickly, but all she could think about was that she had finally found a ticket out of her worst nightmare.

* * *

Henry had pulled the car over the minute he heard the word "abortion".

"Natalie, no way!" he said. "You're just upset and confused right now. Deep down you know you could never do that."

"Henry, come on," she said. "You know we're not ready for a kid."

"When I agreed to come on this little drive with you, I thought we would talk about something happy and nice. Like a baby name. I was not expecting to hear you even suggest killing our child."

"Don't say it like that. Honestly, Henry, can you really say you want a baby right now? A baby you have to take care of and love with your whole heart? Can we honestly give that much of ourselves yet? Are we really ready? I'm not, that's for sure. I need to sort out my life, my career, before I can even think of having a child. And I wanted us to be married before we have a family."

"But that's not exactly how it happened, Natalie. We have to take what life throws at us. Are you honestly going to give up this easily?"

"This isn't some game, Henry," Natalie snapped. "We can't "give up" and quit here. We are talking about our whole future. Could you afford to go to grad school and get that extra degree in education you're always talking about if we had to worry about providing for a child? Could I even think about going to medical school when we would barely be able to pay for formula and diapers."

"You're acting like we'd be living on our own with no income whatsoever," Henry said. "I'd obviously get a job, Natalie. I'm not stupid. And if worse came to worse we could probably live with your mom if we needed help."

"Live with my mom? And how would make that commute from my mom's house to UCLA everyday for class? We'd have to drop out of college to get any form of help from our families. I'm sorry, but I refuse to give up my education for anything."

"Not even me? What if something was wrong with me? What if I had to quit because of a family problem?"

"That's different."

"Not really. Natalie, the baby inside of you is one half me, one half you. That means I have a say in its future just as much as you do. I won't let you do it."

"God, Henry, what's the big deal?" Natalie shouted. "One, two, three, it could all be over like that! We could do it this weekend and be back at school and tell Stella and everyone it was all a big misunderstanding. One huge scare and we promise to never do anything like that again. We could make things right with our parents. This problem can easily be solved."

"A baby isn't a problem, Natalie," Henry said firmly. "It is a beautiful gift from God that should be treasured from the moment of conception."

"It's not a real baby until it's in my arms. That's how I'm looking at this. Please, Henry, just please support me on this one. The baby's in my body. It should be my decision."

"No, it's our decision. And I'm telling you that I don't want this."

"Fine. And I'm telling you that I need to do this. I have to do this. There is no other option."

Henry looked at her very seriously right in the eyes. His voice was steady and firm even though he was falling apart inside. "Natalie, I swear to god and on all that is holy that if you get an abortion, I will leave you."

"Henry, seriously, you're over-"

"No. I'm telling you the truth. It's your decision."

* * *

Natalie and Henry barely spoke the rest of the day. He retreated to the guest bedroom right when they returned to Diana's place. She wasn't home. She left a hardly legible note saying that she had to run many errands and that she hoped they were okay. She'd be back before dinner. Natalie was left alone in the kitchen, just thinking.

She didn't know what to do. She was so sure that Henry would be on her side. She thought he would understand. But she had been wrong. Very wrong. She didn't know he would make such threats. She didn't think she would ever have to worry about Henry leaving her. But she didn't want to have a baby. She couldn't go through with that. Not now. She knew the baby wouldn't be loved. At least not by her. She would most likely resent the child, and then end up hating herself for it the rest of her life. That was too much to handle. It was all too much to handle.

She finally decided she needed to just get it done. She opened up the phone book and dialed the free clinic for some information on it all. They recommended a good facility to do the procedure. She set up an appointment for a consultation that very night.

When she came back, no one asked her where she had been. Henry hadn't even noticed she was gone. The doctor had told her it was still alright to go through with the termination. But she would need to make her decision before it was too late.

Dinner was in total silence. Diana had given up on trying to make Natalie and Henry talk. Henry let Natalie have the bed that night, since she was carrying their child-he was sure to stress that. But he didn't know she had made an appointment to have her abortion the very next day.

* * *

**Pretty heavy, I know. Definitely not what I expected. But please review and let me know what you think!**

**And hopefully I'll have an update really really soon for you :)**


	15. Chapter 15

****

Quick update! LOL I finally have this whole thing sorted out in my brain.

**Enjoy and review!**

**I don't own N2N**

* * *

Natalie woke up the next morning in Henry's arms. She didn't remember him coming to bed, so he must have done it when she was asleep. She figured he wasn't totally mad at her since his head was leaning on her shoulder, his arms holding her body tightly. For a split second, the rest of the world melted away. There with Henry for just a moment her life was perfect. She felt safe and loved. But then she remembered the child she was carrying. She supposed they could make it work. After all, Henry was the sweetest guy she knew. She was actually very curious to see how he would be as a dad.

_No, _Natalie told herself. _Don't do this to yourself. Get out of bed and get back to your life. _

She forced herself to break free from Henry and start getting dressed. Henry woke up immediately.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Out," she answered simply.

"Where? I'm coming with you." He threw back the covers and started to get dressed as well.

"Henry, no," Natalie said, going over to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Stop. I'm just going on a little drive. You don't have to come with me."

"But where to? Where are you going? Don't lie to me, Natalie."

"I'm just going to go to the store. I need to clear my head."

Henry grabbed her hands and pulled her very close to him. His eyes searched her face for any signs of a bluff. "Natalie, listen to me," he said. "Look me in the eyes and honestly tell me where you're going."

Natalie felt terrible for lying to him, but she put on a smile and said, "The store."

Henry sighed and let her hands drop. "Then let me come with you."

"Trust me. You don't want to come."

"If it's just the store, then why can't I-"

"Dammit, Henry!" Natalie shouted. "Can't you take a hint? I just want to be alone." He stared at her in shock. Natalie took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten before speaking again. "I'll be back soon, okay?" When he didn't reply, she tried to go to him, hoping maybe for a hug or kiss. Just a sign, anything telling her he wasn't upset.

Henry pulled away from her. "Just go," he said, his voice quiet and broken.

"Fine," she said, grabbing the rest of her clothes and changing in the bathroom before she left the house.

* * *

The doctors office Natalie was sent to was hideously decorated with pictures of happy people. She didn't understand why in the world they would hang pictures like those in that sort of place. Every one around her seemed to be pretty upset. And she was too, she supposed. But also, everyone around her was with someone. A boyfriend, a husband, a mother at least. But Natalie was alone. After giving her name, she sat, watching as couples went in crying and came out...still crying.

She waited.

* * *

Henry had been texting Natalie ever since she had left. He knew she was lying. He could just feel it. And he also had a horrible feeling that she was off doing something she would regret. He thought calling her directly would be better. No answer. He swore under his breath after about the seven hundreth time it went to voicemail.

* * *

Natalie ignored the hundredth text message from Henry.

**whats going on? y wont you respond? r u okay? where are u?**

After a little while, finally someone else entered the waiting room completely alone. The woman looked about her mom's age. You couldn't tell she was having a baby, but she obviously was. The woman seemed to notice what Natalie had noticed and took a seat very close to her. Once she was settled, she turned to Natalie and smiled.

"Father not in the picture?" she asked.

"Oh, um," Natalie stammered, caught off guard by the lady's question. "Um, he is actually. Just...he's not...He isn't here."

"Oh. Scared?"

"Him? Or me?"

"Both I guess."

"Uh, yeah," Natalie found herself admitting.

"Well, I guess your troubles will soon be over then." The woman sighed. "Well, this isn't my first baby. I have a nineteen year old son and a twelve year old daughter. My husband died a year ago. I cannot let my children know that I was flinging around to get over their father. That's why I'm doing...this."

"Oh."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but, um, why are you? If the kid's father's around, what's the problem?"

Natalie felt really awkward explaining it all to a total stranger, but she needed to talk to someone. "We're just not ready," she said. "We're still in college. There's still so much I need to do. A baby is...can't possibly be in the picture."

"Look, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't believe in what we're about to do. Back when I was your age, I was disgusted by it. But if I didn't already know this baby would tear my family apart, I wouldn't go through with it. I've lived well into my lifetime, as I'm sure you noticed. I won't have fifty years to sit back and regret what I'm doing. But you do. I can't stop you, obviously, but I can tell you that getting an abortion isn't going to solve anything. You'll always remember. You and your boyfriend, and then your husband, you'll always fight about it. You'll always hate yourself."

"Um..." Natalie said, not sure what she _could _say.

"I'm sorry," the woman said, realizing all she had told Natalie. "I shouldn't have...It's none of my business, really."

"Oh, well, um, thanks for expressing your opinion. I guess I didn't think about everything yet." Natalie sat back in her chair and wondered what she was doing.

* * *

Henry couldn't take it any more. Natalie had been gone for hours and still wasn't calling or texting him back. For some reason he was just so sure that Natalie was going behind his back and against his wish and getting her abortion. He really hoped he was wrong. He borrowed Diana's car and headed down to the clinic to figure out where she could have gone. On the way he left her another message.

"Nat, it's me. Listen, I know what you're about to do. Just please, please stop. Don't go through with it. I'm begging you. I'm driving down to the clinic and then I'm going to find out where you are and I'm taking you home. And Natalie? When I said I'd leave you, I was bluffing. I would never leave you. Please, just, don't do anything stupid. Don't do this to me, please." He took a deep breath. "I love you. I love you so much. Don't ruin the beautiful thing we have here. I'm on my way."

* * *

"Natalie Goodman?" the nurse called.

"Good luck," the woman next to her muttered.

Natalie stood slowly and began walking to the nurse. She gave her a "we don't have time for this" look, but it didn't make Natalie's legs go any faster. She had just listened to Henry's voicemail. The desperation in his voice had almost made her cry. She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to do this. But she had to. She had to get on with her life. She didn't want to let Henry down, but she also didn't want to let herself down.

The nurse led her to a room where she made her change into a hospital gown. Then they went into another room that looked like a typical doctor's office.

"Have a seat," the nurse said. "The doctor will be with you soon."

Natalie fiddled with the hem of her dress until the doctor arrived. Once she saw him with agreement contract she knew she really was about to go through with it. And there was no turning back.

"Natalie!" a voice shouted. Henry burst into the room. "Oh god, I'm so glad I found you!" he said breathlessly.

"Who are you?" the doctor asked.

"I'm her boyfriend. Can we have a minute alone, please?"

"Yes, of course, but please try to make it quick. We have many other patients today." And they were alone.

"Natalie, I'm-"

Natalie immediately burst into tears. She was horrified that she had actually almost gone through with the abortion. If Henry hadn't stormed in, she would have done it. She would have made the biggest mistake of her life, just like the woman in the waiting room told her. She jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around Henry's neck, hugging him so tightly, letting her tears roll down the back of his sweatshirt.

"I'm so sorry, Henry," she sobbed. "You were right. I should never have even thought of doing this. I almost ruined our whole relationship. I'm so, so sorry. I love you so much, I never meant to hurt you. I only-"

"Nat, ssh," Henry whispered, rubbing her back. "It doesn't matter. You were just trying to think of the future. You have every right to want to make these sort of decisions. I'm just happy you made the right choice." He kissed her gently. "I love you more than anything. I always will." He kissed her again.

"Can we please go home?"

"I thought you'd never ask." With one more kiss, they were in the car and back at Diana's place.

"Is everything okay?" she asked them the moment they walked through the door.

"Don't worry," Natalie said. "I didn't do anything stupid. I'm still having a baby." She managed a smile. "And I don't feel so crummy any more."

"Oh, good," Diana said, letting out one huge relieved sigh. "Oh, and Nat, your father called. He wants you to go over to the house to talk. Alone."

"No Henry?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Hey, it's okay," Henry said, giving Natalie a peck on the cheek. "I'll hang here with your mom and we can get started on a really special dinner for you."

"Yes, what a great idea!" Diana agreed.

"Alright," Natalie said with a shrug. "I guess I'll be back later."

* * *

Natalie and her father sat in silence at the kitchen table. Dan cleared his throat. Natalie tucked her hair behind her ears. It was so incredibly awkward. Finally, Dan spoke.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fine," she responded.

Another ten minutes of silence. "Is your mom's place nice? I haven't seen it yet," Dan said.

"Oh, yeah. It's...nice, I guess. Very her." She looked around the room. "So, is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Uh, no, I guess not." Dan took a deep breath and leaned across the table to look his daughter right in the eyes. Natalie recognized this move. That was always how he used to lecture her at dinner time. But once Henry moved in, her father didn't discipline her in front of her boyfriend. "Well, Natalie, I'm sorry we didn't get off on the best foot when you came home from school. But you have to understand that this is very hard for me. My little girl's having a baby?"

"I'm not that little, Dad," she reminded him. "I'm eighteen. I'm technically-I'm legally an adult."

"I know that, but you're still my daughter. Now, obviously the baby is Henry's?"

"Yeah."

"That's what I wanted to talk about." Dan took another breath and said, "Ever since Henry started staying with us, you sort of starting going down the wrong path. You cut school more often, you blew your Yale audition, you went to UCLA, and you got pregnant. I don't think Henry is a good influence on you."

"Do we have to go through this again?" Natalie shouted, standing up from the table. "Henry is the best influence I could have. He's real. Not like you, not like Mom."

"Natalie, please. This isn't about me or your mother. This is about you. Obviously, raising a child will be very difficult. This has taken a lot of thought on my part, but I've finally reached a decision. I will support you and your child with everything I have. I won't take away your car or anything like that. You won't even get into any trouble for getting pregnant. But I have one condition."

Natalie was nervous to hear what he could be plotting. "Yeah?"

"Leave Henry and don't look back."

"What?"

"He got you into this mess and he certainly won't get you out," her father told her, slowly getting up as well. "I'm sorry, but this is the only way."

"The only way to what?" Natalie shouted. "Dad, don't be crazy. I'm not breaking up with Henry just because you suddenly don't like him anymore."

"Natalie, there's more to it than that. I honestly didn't want it to come to this, but either you break up with Henry or I kick you out for good. That means you give me the car back, I stop paying for your tuition, you'd really be on your own. Is Henry really worth losing your father?"

Natalie's eyes began to water again and soon she was crying. "Dad, why are you doing this to me? Why do I have to choose? I love you both so much. Isn't there something else I can do? I just don't understand."

"I'm really sorry, honey. I didn't want to have to do this. I love you, sweetheart. I'm your father. I think I know what's best for you. I know this is right. This is what has to be done."

"You're really making me do this?" Natalie asked, wiping at her dripping nose. "Either I leave Henry or you'll really cut me out of your life?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "But one day you'll thank me. One day when your a rich, successful doctor with a beautiful family and Henry's just a low-life bum, you'll be really happy you got out while you still could. Before the baby tied you to him forever."

Natalie stood there in silence. Was she dreaming? Had her dad gone crazy? Was this really happening? Was she actually about to agree to this? Henry was her world, her everything. But if she didn't leave him, she'd have to face the consequences. No more college, no more car, no more house. She'd be a no one with nothing. Nothing but a crazy mom she thought she wouldn't have to deal with. And what about her baby? Whatever job Henry would manage to get wouldn't be enough to support a child. Without her dad's help, they could end up hungry and dirt poor. She would never be able to handle that. She needed her father's support. She stood there sobbing, hating herself, wanting to literally throw herself off a cliff, but she had to do it. If she wanted to survive, she had to.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

"Just leave a note, come to the house, and then I'll arrange for you to go to a different college to finish your education. Once you're free of Henry, we'll figure it all out."

Natalie grabbed her purse, still crying hysterically, and ran out of the house.

* * *

When she returned to Diana's, both her mother and Henry could tell she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked immediately, rushing to her and pulling her into a hug.

"Nothing," she said, the tears welling up again. This very well could be the last time she would ever hug him. She held on so tight.

"Honey, you're crying. What happened with your dad?"

"He was just really upset," Natalie lied. "I'm fine honestly. It's all a lot to deal with. It's been a crazy day." She pulled back to look Henry in his beautiful brown eyes. She planted a long, passionate kiss on his lips. "I love you."

Henry smiled. "I love you more."

They all sat down for dinner. Everything seemed so perfect. Natalie was so torn. She could easily stay with Henry. It was so perfect. But if she didn't show up at her dad's the next morning, he'd know she didn't end it with Henry and would cut her off forever. Her dad wasn't one to usually bluff, so she knew he wasn't kidding. Even though it was horrible, she had to leave Henry. She decided to wait until the next morning. Everyone went off to bed. At the crack of dawn, Natalie silently took her suitcase into the kitchen and left her note on the counter, convieniently placed underneath the one Diana had already left before work. Once everything was set, she crept back into the bedroom where Henry lay sleeping. He looked so peaceful, so beautiful. The tears started flowing as she gave Henry one last kiss. Her heart was breaking, but still she got into her car and drove to Dan's.

Henry woke up a little after ten. When Natalie wasn't at his side, he immediately freaked. He looked for her all over, shouting her name. Finally he found the notes. First, Diana's:

_Nat and Henry,_

_I'm off at work. I picked up an extra shift. I figure I should start saving up for some baby gifts. There's French toast in the fridge. I hope you enjoy. Have a lovely day. I'll be home at about five. I love you both._

_Di_

Then Natalie's:

_Dear Henry,_

_I'm sorry that I'm doing this to you. You probably won't understand, but my dad left me with no choice. He told me that if I didn't leave you, he would basically disown me. No more UCLA, no car, no house. I'd have nothing. Except for you of course, and a baby. That should be enough, I know. But this is just something I had to do. Even though it kills me, we're through. I hope you know that I love you more than anything in this whole world. I'm so sorry that I'm hurting you. I'm so sorry we couldn't talk this through. But I really hope you can one day forgive me. I love you, and all I can say is sorry. I'm so sorry._

_Natalie_

Henry couldn't even process the words. He called out for her some more, even running up and down the block looking for her. But she was really gone.

* * *

**Don't be fooled, it's not over yet! I hope you liked this chapter. I've got some more twists and turns up my sleeve-even a little Gabe added into the story. I would have put it on the end of this one, but I thought it would be too much LOL**

**Please review! And stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm so sorry for the delay! And especially after that last chapter! What a cliff-hanger! haha**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this update and will review :) **

**I don't own N2N **

* * *

Natalie didn't say a word to her dad when she got to his house. She stayed up in her room and cried. For days. When Thanksgiving break was over, her father sent her to the community college. She was too depressed to even be upset by it. Her world had ended. She was nothing anymore. And so she let the days pass.

_**One Month Later**_

Henry called Natalie for probably the billionth time since she'd left. He was back at UCLA, ready to come home for Christmas break. The call went to voicemail, and he left the message.

"Hey, Nat, it's me. Henry. Your boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend I guess. Um, I know you've heard this a thousand times I'm sure, but I understand why you did what you did, and I'm not mad. Honestly, I'm not. I would have done the same thing. Well, I wouldn't have...but...anyway, sorry, okay. Um, just give me a call back. Let's at least talk. I love you."

_**Four Months Later**_

"Hey, it's Henry again. Um, did you get my last message? About me being in town for April break? Well, the whole dorm's going to Bermuda. I know I said I wasn't going, but you didn't call me back, so I think I am gonna go. Um, I'll still have my cell so feel free to call me anytime. Maybe I can come home early and we can meet up for coffee or something. Anyway, are you feeling okay? You should be seven months along now, right? Do you know if it's a boy or girl? I know you probably don't want to hear this now, but I have rights, Natalie. I want to see my child when he or she is born. I want to be there, if that's okay. Oh, god, I'm rambling. Anyway, call me. I love you."

_**Two Months Later**_

"It's Henry. I did some pretty good estimating, and I'm pretty sure this should be your due date. So did you have the baby yet? I'm home, just so you know. I have been for like a month. I told you that though. You know that. Um, I don't know if you remember but I've tried coming over to see you many times. You guys don't seem to ever be home. You do still live in the same house, right? You would have told me if you moved, right? So please let me know when the baby comes. Let's arrange something, please. I miss you. I need you. God, Natalie, call me! And I still love you."

**_Three Hours Later_**

"Just checking in again. It's Henry, if you didn't know. I'm assuming the baby hasn't been born, and that's why you're not calling. Or that it has been and you're tired or sleeping or nursing or something. Or you're in labor. In which case, I know you're doing great. You can do it, Nat! Push! Push! Unless you're having a C-section. In that case, um, just relax and let the doctors work their magic. Anyway, um, I'll try you again later. Love you. Keep me posted."

_**One Month Later**_

"You did have the baby, right? Oh, it's Henry by the way. Listen, I wanted to let you know I'm going to visit one of my buddies in San Diego for a week. You remember Josh, right? Maybe? I don't know if you guys met. Well, I leave tomorrow. You can call me on the trip. That's no problem. Um, how's our son? Or daughter? Or both? Did you have twins? More than twins? Was our baby okay? Can't you at least just tell me? Did your dad forbid you from even calling me up? Come, on, Nat, please. Uh, I love you. Bye."

_**One Year Later**_

"Um, hey, Natalie, it's Henry. I haven't called you in a few weeks because I finally realized that you've moved on. Or maybe you haven't, but you obviously don't want anything to do with me anymore. And I get that. I really do. Um, I'm going back to UCLA early. I got a job close to campus that makes good money. So I'm going to start sending you checks and stuff. Legally, I could take you to court for withholding my child from me. But I'm not going to do that. At least tell him or her that I love him. Or her. Tell that baby that I love him more than anything in this whole world and I never will stop loving him and wishing that I had the chance to be there for him. You better tell him that everyday. That's the only thing I ask of you. After all this time, that's all I want. So this goodbye. Forever."

**_Four Years Later_**

Henry had stayed in California after graduation. There was nothing to go home to. But now, after being out of college two years, he was offered a position at the high school he used to go to. He would teach World Lit as well moderate their jazz ensemble. So he hopped in his car and drove back home. He had bought himself an apartment that he actually hadn't seen in person until he drove into the complex's driveway. The building was brick and looked nice enough. His mom had been nice enough to furnish the apartment for him while he was gone, so he was able to walk right in and settle down on the couch. He was very happy that he paid extra for the cable.

His first few weeks at the high school were rough, but he got used to it. There was even this one sophomore who was an amazing student as well as musician with a crazy mane of dark brown curls that reminded him so much of Nat-

Henry had to look away from the girl if he ever started to think of Natalie too much. His mom had been really on his back about Natalie, about serving her a court order or something. About making her let him see his child. He nodded and said he would eventually, but he had no intention of doing that. He had promised her that a long time ago. Henry just pushed all the bad feelings to the back of his mind and focused on giving his students a good, fun education.

One day after school he made his routine trip to the bank like he did whenever he got his paycheck. He would be making $51,000 a year at the high school, so he made about $5700 every month. He would always put four thousand in savings, one thousand in checking, and then mail the rest to Natalie. She never thanked him. He didn't even know if she ever got the checks, but doing it made him feel better.

But that day after he went to the bank, Henry also needed to stop at the pharmacy to get Bandaids and his allergy medicine. The place was relatively empty. For this he was thankful. After he got his meds from the back of the store, he started searching for the first aid supplies. A little kid with dark hair and brown eyes came running down the aisle, accidentally crashing into a pocketbook display table and falling into Henry.

Henry was about to say something angry and stupid when the boy's mother hurried over to him. "Henry! What are you doing?" she said. Henry instinctively looked up at the sound of his name, but the woman went straight to the child. It was then Henry noticed her wild brown curls in a low ponytail. A hairstyle he had lived with years.

"Natalie?" he said, stepping closer to her.

She turned around saying, "I'm sorry, he's a-" When she saw him, she stopped. "Oh my god. Henry."

"Hi," he said, slowly starting to smile. "How are you?"

"Um, fine," she said quickly. "Busy, really busy." To the boy, "Henry, we have to get going."

"Wait, is this..." Henry stared down at the child with his name. The boy that looked like the perfect combination of himself and Natalie. The boy with that goofy grin that Henry himself had across his face. "We had a boy."

"Shut up," she said quickly. She took the boy by his shoulders and gave him a shove toward the stuffed animals in the corner. "Hank, go pick a toy out." The boy rushed over to shelf overflowing with animals.

"Hank?" Henry questioned. "That's what my grandpa used to call me. I hated it."

"Well, it's a nickname for Henry, okay?" she said, full of attitude. "It's kind of hard calling him-" She stopped and looked down at her shoes, then back up at him again. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here. I teach at our high school, have my own apartment. I'm the real deal these days. You?"

"I, um, well...My mom moved back in with my dad last year, so I took her condo."

"Oh, that's great," he said, remembering how devastated Mr. Goodman had been when Diana left. "They must be really happy."

"Yeah, they...they are," she said, smiling a little. It quickly faded. "So you're, like, here for good."

"That's the plan right now," Henry said, shrugging. "I'm having a pretty good time teaching. I don't know, I might go back to California in a few years. But for now, it's kind of cool to be back here."

"Oh." She looked over to little Hank in the corner. "Well, you've seen him," she said finally.

"What?"

"In your messages you said you really wanted to see him. Well, that's him. He's five and is a serious trouble-maker. But he's the center of my whole universe."

"Wow," Henry said, also looking at his son. "I hope soon enough I can really get to know him. After all, I do live here now. I'm really close by."

"I don't know, Henry. This is just too weird. We randomly ran into you in a store. Like, seriously? Oh, Hank, by the way, that man you just bumped into is your dad, time to check out!"

"Not like that, Natalie. Can't we at least set something up? Don't you owe that much to me? You've kept him from me for five years."

Natalie sighed. "Fine. I work as a nurse, by the way, so I work nights usually. I'll pick up a morning shift next work and you can come over for dinner I guess. My cell number's the same, just call me."

"Will you actually pick up?" Henry asked, half joking, half serious.

She laughed, but only a little. "Yes." She collected her son and his new dinosaur stuffed animal and checked out before leaving the store. Henry paid for his own items soon after. On his way home, all he could think about was how beautiful Natalie had looked, even in baggy grey sweatpants and dark green t-shirt. And finally he was going to spend some quality time with son. He was going to get his family back, of that he was certain. And this time, he wasn't going to let Natalie, or their son, get away.

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**I hope you liked! Please review! It means so much :)**

**And I really really REALLY will try to keep my updates more consistant. I'm sorry for keeping you guys waiting!**


	17. Chapter 17

**hey everyone! I am soooo sorry I haven't updated! I don't know what happened! At least now I have time to update and summer's coming up so I'll definitely be updating more often-and this time I mean it! **

**I hope you enjoy the update and please review! (No, I don't own N2N)**

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On most Friday nights, Henry stayed in and graded papers in front of the TV. On a rare occasion, he'd go out with some co-workers for drinks. On even rarer occasions, he'd visit his mom. But on this Friday night, Henry stood in front of his bedroom mirror, combing his unruly hair. Tonight would be the night he would finally get to hang out with his son. Natalie had called him that morning, saying she planned on working from 9 to 4:15, then she'd pick up Hank from her parents house. He could come over at 6:30 for dinner. Henry immediately said yes. He could barely concentrate on his classes that day. He spent most of the afternoon getting ready. Once the clock struck 5:53, he couldn't wait any longer. He hopped in the car and drove to Diana's old condo.

The condo was exactly as he had remembered it. Even the car in the driveway was the same. He figured Natalie must have inherited Diana's car as well. Henry took a deep breath before he mustered up as much courage as he could to walk to the front door. Natalie answered right after the first knock.

"It's not even six fifteen," she said, skipping the hello's. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, hi," Henry said. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't wait around anymore."

"Well, come in." The inside of Diana's place was also the same as before. The only thing different was the pile of toys in the corner next to the TV. And of course the five year old jumping on the couch.

"Hank, stop that," Natalie said in an uptight Mom voice. "Just because I turned around for one minute to get the door doesn't mean you don't have to follow the rules." Hank made a face and jumped onto the floor, rolling around next to the dinosaur Natalie had bought for him. She turned back to Henry. "So, um, I have some pasta on the stove." She pointed to the pot boiling over in the kitchen.

"Oh, no problem," Henry said. "I can help you, if you want."

"No, I got it. You can...um...I guess sit around with Hank until dinner's ready. That is what you wanted to do, right?"

"Absolutely." Natalie turned her back to go. "Wait, Nat. What does he know about me? I mean, what have you told him?"

"Just that his daddy wasn't around," she said simply. "But don't worry, I told him that his dad loved him. As for tonight, you're just a friend. If he likes you and we can work something out, I'll tell him the truth."

Henry was almost shocked by the lightness in her voice. She talked about Henry's not being there as though it was his choice. It never was his choice. It was all Natalie's. He only did what she had wanted. To avoid getting angry, he hurried onto the couch to focus on his son.

"Hey, buddy," he said cautiously.

Hank stared at him for a few minutes before saying, "Hi. Do you like dinosaurs?"

"Do I? I love 'em!"

"Good, 'cause they're my favorite animal. Mommy bought me a whole book on dinosaurs. I read it all by myself. I can read, you know. Can you read?"

"Yes," Henry said, laughing. Hank was a genius like Nat, but a chatterbox like his dad.

"Good, 'cause Mommy said only smart boys can read. You must be smart. Mommy says I'm smart. Did your Mommy ever tell you that you're smart?"

"She did. You know, I'm a teacher. I love to meet new, smart people."

"Who are you?" Hank asked, hopping up onto the couch next Henry, dragging his dinosaur with him.

"I'm Henry, your mom's friend."

"My name's Henry!" Hank shouted, starting to jump on the couch. Henry remembered he wasn't supposed to, but didn't say anything. "But no one calls me that. Mommy doesn't let them."

"Well, that's because it's my name," Henry started to explain, but then he realized he was talking to a five year old. No use explaining his mother's complex emotions. "Anyway, Hank's a good nickname."

"I know." He stopped jumping and grabbed the TV remote, clicking the TiVo button. Once he had started an episode of Sesame Street and relaxed against some pillows, he stared at Henry. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he said, "I look like you."

"Really?" Henry squeaked, afraid of this moment from the second Natalie told him she hadn't said anything to Hank. The two of them did look a lot alike, especially when they smiled. Hank was obviously smart, even for a little kid. Of course he was going to notice.

"Yeah." He smiled. "Or maybe you look like me."

"Um, yeah, that must be it."

"Dinner's ready!" Natalie called from the kitchen. Hank sprang up and ran like the wind into the other room. Henry wondered if he always had this kind of energy.

Natalie had set the table for three and even had a vase of daisies out. Before Henry even sat down, she was filling their bowls with spaghetti and getting the sauce. Henry noticed there was bread and salad on the table too, and Hank was already digging in.

"Masketti's my favorite," he said, his mouth overflowing with noodles.

"Hank, chew and swallow before you talk," Natalie reminded him, pulling two wine glasses from the cabinet.

"I said spaghetti's my favorite!"

"Mine too," Henry agreed, filling his salad bowl. He waited until Natalie had poured them some wine and settled into her seat before he started eating. The three of them didn't do much talking, just eating. Henry was beginning to think the whole night was a waste. He had only spoken to Hank for a few minutes, and Natalie barely said a word to him. And then it was bedtime.

"But it's so early!" Hank protested.

"It's almost nine, and that is late," Natalie told him, leaving the dishes in the sink and ushering Hank into his room. To Henry she said, "Um, I guess you can watch." He felt incredibly out of place as he followed them to the guest room that he had once spent the night in. Of course now it was a little boy's room, painting a dark blue with plenty of toys all over the place and a racecar bed with outer space sheets. It was the perfect little kid's room. Henry thought that maybe Natalie had just thrown all the typical elements of a boy's room in to one to decorate Hank's room.

Natalie quickly helped Hank change into his pajamas before tucking him in. Henry watched from the doorway.

"Story!" Hank shouted.

"Ssh, it's late," Natalie told him. "Inside voices. And I have a kitchen to clean. I think you can fall asleep without a bedtime story this one night."

"Mommy, please!"

She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "One night."

"Noooo!"

"No whining or won't get a story this whole week!"

"Hey, I'll read him one," Henry chimed in. "I mean, if you don't mind, it's the least I can do."

"Yeah, let Henry do it!" Hank agreed with a smile. "He's smart!"

Natalie stood up. "Well, if you don't mind, I guess it's okay," she said. "I'll be doing the dishes if you need me." And he was alone with his son.

Henry wandered over to the bookshelf. "Okay, what story do you want to hear?"

"You're silly!" Hank said. "Bedtime stories never come from the bookshelf. Mommy always makes up the bedtime story."

"She does?"

"Of course! So you have to, too!"

"Okay, sure," Henry said, standing at the edge of his bed. "Okay, so once upon a time-"

"No!" Hank interrupted. "You have to lay down next to me in bed to tell the story."

"Um, I don't know if that-"

"It's the only way it works!"

"Okay, okay." Henry squeezed himself into the racecar bed. Little Hank immediately nestled closer. Henry was so taken back he almost forgot he was supposed to tell a story. There he was, snuggling his son. A son he hadn't seen for five whole years. He wished Hank already knew the truth. Then he could be Dad, and not Henry. He could always be there. He could always tell the bedtime story and always be there for dinner.

"Henry!"

"Sorry." He cleared his throat. "So once there was a dinosaur who wanted more than anything to go to the ball." And he spiraled into a pretty strange story about a yellow dinosaur with green polka dots (according to Hank) who wanted to go the princess dinosaur's ball so he could eat all the cake and steal the magical egg of basketball. With the magical egg of basketball, he could beat the evil dinosaur at their basketball duel that Saturday. But since he fell in love with the princess and couldn't bring himself to steal the egg, he had to face his enemy without any magical powers. He ended winning with the power of love and ruled over the dinosaur kingdom forever! The end!

They both were laughing by the end of the story. Even Hank thought it was just completely ridiculous. Natalie came in a few moments later.

"Someone isn't sleeping," she said.

"Sorry, but the story was so good!" Hank said. "Henry should read one to me every night!"

"Well, Henry can't. He doesn't live here."

"Well, can he?"

"Yeah, can I?" Henry agreed, enjoying the moment so much.

"No!" Natalie. "Come on, Henry, it's time for you to go home. And Hank, go to sleep." She flicked off the light and went into the hall, leaving Henry to climb over Hank in the dark.

"Goodnight, Hank," he whispered from the doorway. But the boy was already snoring. "I love you."

Natalie stood with her arms folded in front of the door. "I hope you had fun, because I don't think we can do this again," she said.

"What?" Henry asked, his face falling. "Why not? What's wrong?"

"It's just that I didn't want him to get too attached. And now after one bedtime story he wants you to move in. I'm sorry Henry, but he hasn't had a dad for five years. I don't think it's time to just throw one into the mix and then have him disappear if a job somewhere else comes up."

"Is about what I said in the pharmacy? Because I'd never move. Not now." He grabbed her hands. "Natalie, please, I've waited so long to see him. Now I finally have. And he likes me! I'm not messing this up. No way."

"But it's just-"

"What? Is it your dad?" Henry asked, getting agitated. "I know he told you to leave me, but did he tell you I'm not allowed to meet my son?"

"No!" she said sharply. "Don't bring my father into this. He had his reasons for what he did. And so did I. You want to play with Hank? Fine! We're going to the zoo tomorrow. Meet us here at one. Goodnight!" She opened the door with such force, Henry was afraid she'd rip it off the hinges.

"Natalie, I don't want to leave here with you mad at me."

"Too late," she said, pushing him out the door and slamming it in his face.

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**And really, I'll update sooner!**


	18. Chapter 18

**ok schools officially out for me, i'll definitely be on top of these updates!  
Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming :)**

**I don't own n2n**

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Though the previous night ended badly, Henry decided he wouldn't let it ruin the trip to the zoo. He actually saw it as an opportunity to make amends with Natalie. On the way to her house, he stopped and picked up roses. He rang the doorbell and put on a smile.

It took Natalie a total of eight minutes to answer the door, but at least she did. "Hi," she said, swinging the door open. When she saw the flowers: "What are you doing?"

"Oh, these are just for you," he said with a shrug.

"It's not a date, Henry," she told him, grabbing the flowers. "Come inside." He did. "Sorry, I'm running late. I stopped after work to pick up groceries and I need to get out of these clothes. Oh, and I want to just jump in the shower. I hope you don't mind. You can just hang with Hank." And she disappeared down the hallway. He heard the shower start to run immediately.

He slowly made his way into the family room. Hank was jumping on the couch again. When he saw Henry, his face lit up.

"Henry!" he shouted, hopping off the couch and running to Henry, wrapping his arms around his legs. "You came back!"

"Well, yeah, of course," Henry said, laughing. "Your mom invited me to the zoo with you guys."

"But she said you wouldn't come."

"She did?"

"Yeah, but that's okay 'cause you're here now. Wanna make a Lego tower?" Hank didn't even wait for a response. He grabbed Henry's hand and led him to his bedroom. The box of Legos was already opened and spilling over onto the floor. Hank got right to it, stacking red on top of yellow, blue on top of green. "Come on, Henry! You build it too." So together they made the colorful structure, laughing when they knocked the whole thing over accidentally.

It seemed like only two minutes had gone by when Natalie appeared again in jeans and an old sweater Henry was sure he had seen her wear in high school. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, still dripping from the shower. She wasn't wearing any make-up, but she didn't need it. It was then that Henry realized she was still stunning. Still the gorgeous girl he had dated five years ago.

"Are you two ready to go?" she asked them, smiling but probably just for Hank.

"Zooooooo!" Hank screeched, grabbing a lion stuffed animal off his bed. "Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's gooo!" He raced out of his room. Natalie laughed and followed him, Henry close behind.

"Hey, maybe you guys would like to take my care," he suggested in the driveway.

"What?" Natalie said. "No, that's fine. We have Hank's little booster seat thing in mine...and he makes such a mess anyway."

"It's no big thing, really." He turned to Hank. "Hey, little man, how would you like to be a big boy and ride in my car without a car seat?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Hank said happily. "Come on, Mommy, in the car now!" He started banging on the car door.

"Hank, stop," Natalie scolded. "Just open the door and get in."

They all got in and headed off to the zoo. It took Henry a few minutes to remember how to actually get to the zoo, but he managed fine. Hank would shout out any words he could read on signs, which were most of them. And he loved to point out how many red cars there were. And blue ones. And black ones. Natalie kept telling him to settle down, but Henry saw her smiling. He was smiling too.

When they reached the zoo, Hank was eager to stop at every animal's cage. Every time they passed a refreshments stand, Henry was sure to buy all three of them ice cream or sodas. He wanted the zoo trip to be perfect. Natalie kept Hank on a tight leash at first, and she even barely spoke to Henry, but by the time they reached the Reptile House, she was smiling and laughing along with them.

At the end of the day, they settled down at a picnic table for some hot dogs.

"Wasn't this a great day?" Henry asked, grinning at Hank.

"I had so much fun!" He looked to Natalie. "I want to spend every weekend like this. With Henry!"

Natalie just smiled at him, not saying anything. Henry needed a minute to speak with her, and without Hank. Now seemed as good a time as ever.

"Hey, Hank," he said. "Here's a few dollars. Why don't you run to that vending machine over there and pick out some snacks for us?" Hank ran over happily. Both Natalie and Henry kept their eyes on him the whole time.

"Nat, did you hear that?" he said quietly. "He said he wants to spend every weekend me. It sounds like the typical divorced parents arrangement."

"We're not divorced parents," Natalie responded with a straight face.

"Don't you get it, Nat? We can tell Hank that I'm his dad. We can work something out, legally or not-it's up to you. And we can do this. I can take him so weekends and we can be a family."

"What are you talking about? He's met you twice."

"Three times, technically," Henry said softly.

"It's too soon. You need to slowly introduce the idea to a child. He won't be able to understand it if you just spring it on him."

"He seems like a smart boy. He got that from you, I'm sure. It'll make sense to him, I know it will."

"No," she said firmly.

"Nat, why are you doing this? Can't you see how much I want to be in Hank's life? I've always wanted to be. I always wanted to be here as his father. You wouldn't let me."

She stood up quickly, eyes blazing. "If you cared so much, then why did you stop calling?" she asked, voice breaking. Henry was sure her eyes were tearing. "Hank and I've got to go. I'll call a cab. You can just leave."

"Nat, please-"

"No." Hank came back them with three chocolate bars. Natalie grabbed one and threw it at Henry. "Say goodbye to Henry, Hank, because you're never seeing him again." She clasped his little and they were gone.

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**I hope you enjoyed the update :) Please review! I'll get on the next update right away!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry for the delay-I definitely meant to update faster, I was just working on my other story (I'm Right Behind You, check it out :)) **

**Enjoy and please review! *I dont own N2N***

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Henry wasn't going to give up. He started by sitting at home that night (and the rest of the week) and calling Natalie.

_Nat, come on. You have to talk to me. We need to talk about this. I miss Hank. I want to see him. And I want to see you. Please just call me back._

_Hey, Nat, it's me again. Do you maybe want to meet for...I don't know, coffee or something? We really need to talk. I'll be here all day. Well, by here I mean home. Although I may need to pick up my dry cleaning. But you can call me. Please call me._

_It's Henry. I'm thinking you're working right now and that's why you're not answering...I'm starting to feel like an idiot. Do you think maybe you could call me soon? How's Hank by the way? At least text me telling me how he is. Call me._

_It's me. Look, it's been a couple days. Can't you just pick up? Or at least call me back? That's all I'm asking you to do. And you didn't text me either, by the way. _

_Look, Nat, I didn't want to do this, but I'm going to call my mom and we're going to figure out the best thing to do. That means I might call a lawyer. I want to see Hank, Natalie. I love him. He's my son. And you know what? This isn't about us, Nat. I'm really starting to think you've been thinking that this whole thing is about us. Maybe I've moved on from us, Natalie. Maybe I don't care about you the way I used to. Maybe I only care about my son. I'm seeking legal advice and then taking a stand. I'm sorry, but it needs to be done. So I guess you don't need to call me back, since my mind's already made up. Have a nice night._

He hadn't really intended for his last message to be so definite, so intense. But it was the right thing. And he did go to his mother, right away actually. She hooked him up with one of the best lawyers in town. He set up a meeting, did his research. There was no turning back. He continued to reach out to Natalie, just to keep her updated. The lawyer told him it wasn't necessary, but Henry thought it was. He was still feeling a little guilty about that one message...

Finally everything was in place. With his lawyer in tow, he was ready to face Natalie. At first he was hesitant to just drop by at her house, but the lawyer, Mr. Bradshaw, said it was the only way, considering she wouldn't talk to him. And at the end of the day, it was about Hank. Henry took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

Little Hank opened the door. "Henry!" he shouted. "What are you doing here? Mommy said I would never ever see you ever!"

"Well, your mommy was wrong," Henry said with a smile, scooping Hank up and giving him a hug. Lost in the moment, he barely saw Natalie rush into the front hall.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she nearly shouted.

"Um, Natalie-"

"Let me," Mr. Bradshaw cut in. "I'm Elliot Bradshaw, attorney. I'm with the firm Bradshaw and Bradshaw. Today I-"

"Wait, attorney?" Natalie said. "What the hell? Henry, what are you doing?" Her eyes kept darting from the lawyer, to Hank, to Henry, and back again.

"Nat, please, I had to," Henry said quietly.

Mr. Bradshaw continued, "Henry just wants proper rights. We're sorry to come unannounced like this, but we felt there was no other way to get through to you. When Henry threatened to get a lawyer, he was being quite serious. You were withholding your child from his father, and Henry-"

"Please, please," Natalie said quickly, eyes brimming with tears. "Not in front of Hank. Please."

"Miss Goodman, we can't avoid this matter any longer. Little Hank deserves to know-"

"Henry," she pleaded, a tear slipping onto her cheek.

"Okay, in the kitchen," Henry announced, picking up Hank again and placing him on the couch. "Hank, the adults need to have a private conversation. Can you just sit here and wait for us to finish?"

"Sure," Hank said with a smile, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. When they were sure he was settled, they all moved into the kitchen and sat down.

Mr. Bradshaw was quick to explain: Henry wanted proper visitation rights, time alone with his son, and he really wanted Hank to know that he was his dad. That was obviously was going to be the first step.

"Please," Natalie said, still very upset. "Hank's a normal little kid. He's accepted the fact he doesn't have a dad. If we tell him that Henry's his dad, there are going to be questions. Questions like why wasn't he always around? Why doesn't he live with us?"

"But I _am _his dad," Henry protested. "Nat, you're just scared. Of what, I'm not sure. Maybe scared of the idea of having me around forever. But I don't care, Nat. He's my son. I deserve-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. You want to be a dad, but really Henry. He'd love to just be your friend. Can't you be happy with that?"

"Unfortunately, if you don't cooperate," Mr. Bradshaw warned, "we will take you to court."

"You wouldn't."

"Sorry, Nat," Henry said. "We would. I didn't want it to come to this, but I will if I have to."

Natalie sat there in silence, thinking it over. Those were the longest three minutes of Henry's life. Finally she sighed. "Hank!" she called. "Come here!"

Little Hank ran into the kitchen and jumped up onto his mom's lap, a smile on his face. Henry thought he was the cutest little kid he'd ever seen. He used to think that parents just said that all the time because it was their child, you know? But Hank really was the cutest, Henry was sure.

"Hank, we've got a little surprise for you," Natalie continued. "Do you know that I named you after your dad?"

"No. I don't have a dad," Hank said a little sadly.

"No, you do, bud," Henry said quickly.

"Let me," Natalie said with more force than she had probably meant. "Hank, you do have a dad. I'm sorry I waited so long to tell you. Your dad was just busy so he couldn't be around for you. But he's ready to be your daddy now. Would you like to know who your dad is?"

"Well, yeah!" Hank shouted.

"Great. You already know him, actually. It's Henry. Yep, Henry's your dad."

Hank looked a little confused, looking back and forth from his mom to Henry. "Really?" he said quietly.

"Yeah, Hank," Henry said with a smile. "I'm your dad. Your mom didn't want you to know when you were little. But she decided that since we were getting along so well, she would tell you now." Hank didn't say anything, and his face didn't betray any emotions. "Hank, do you understand?"

"Yeah," he said finally, smiling a little. "You're my dad."

"Hank, Henry's missed out on a bit," Natalie explained, stroking his hair. "He really wants some alone time with you. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Do you want to spend the weekends with Henry? I remember you said so at the zoo."

"I guess," Hank said. He still was smirking, but Henry was hoping he'd seem a little more excited.

"We'll have fun, bud," Henry assured him. "I'm still the same Henry who bought you cotton candy and built a lego tower with you. I'm just here to stay. I love you, Hank."

"Can I still call you Henry?"

Henry was a little shocked. Of course he wanted to be called Daddy. He couldn't even respond. Natalie stepped in. "You can call him Henry until you get used to the idea of Dad," she said. "You'll do that, right?"

"Yeah." Hank finally smiled a full-on grin. "Tomorrow's Friday. Will you pick me up from school and take me home with you?"

"Absolutely," Henry said, starting to feel better. "We can go out to eat, too."

"I'd rather order a pizza. Mommy never lets me."

"Pizza it is."

"Hank," Natalie said, "why don't you start picking out some clothes that you'd like to wear for the weekend. Henry will pick you up tomorrow."

"Bye, Henry," Hank said before running off.

"Excellent," Mr. Bradshaw said, standing up. "I'll be in the car. Glad we could work something out." He left Henry and Natalie alone.

"Thank you so much, Nat," Henry was sure to say.

"No problem," she told him a little awkwardly. "Um, so he goes to school at Kingsley Elementary. I'll call the school so they know who you are. You have to go right into his classroom for dismissal at 2:30."

"Sure. Really, Natalie, this means the world to-"

"I get it, Henry. Just drop Hank off back here Sunday by five, 'kay?"

"Of course. Thank you so-"

"Stop thanking me. Just make sure you pick Hank up on time tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I will."

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